When The Night Falls
by Crazy-Dame13
Summary: A virus has brought about the Apocalypse, leaving only a handful of survivors to fight each day for their existence. With the World gone to Hell and no hope for civilization can they continue to survive? OC/Dean.
1. Dusk Had Settled Over The City

Dusk had settled over the city when I woke, drawn from an uneasy sleep by instinct alone.

Yawning, I listened to the sounds of another day ending as it gave way to the darkness. In the distance a dog howled mournfully and a lone crow cawed.

Then there was silence.

An eerie silence than seemed to echo sombrely through the shadows that haunted the desolate streets.

Despite the comfortable warmth of the bedcovers, and the reassuring weight of my lovers arm wrapped tightly around my waist, I shivered. Lazy shadows danced across the pale ceiling, given life by the dying gasps of the sun as it disappeared behind the horizon. This was our time now.

Only when the sun went down did our days begin.

Careful not to wake my lover, still sleeping peacefully, I eased carefully out of bed and wrapped one of his flannel shirts around my naked frame. It still carried his scent.

I walked across the cold hardwood floor of the hotel room to the full length window, pulling the curtain back to peer down at the empty streets six storeys below.

There was no sign of life. No remnants of civilization save for the skeletal remains of the city that had been plunged into the deepest pits of Hell by the virus known only as Croatoan. An unforgiving infection that stripped its victims of everything but the primal urge to kill. Spread through blood contact it had swept the nation in days, turning those who were infected into savage killers who no longer suffered a conscience as they maimed and murdered innocent victims. In a matter of weeks it had spread across the World, destroying everything in its wake. The entire World's population had been decimated inside of a month.

That was six months ago. And we had no way of knowing if there were any other survivors out there, eking out a pitiful excuse of an existence like we had been fighting to do since society had come tumbling down around us.

The nights were our only reprieve from the constant threat of the vicious Infected. Turned into nothing more than primitive monsters, they had lost all but the basic of instincts. They still ate regularly, picking at the scraps that rotted in the stores and hunting animals with handmade weapons, and when the sun began to set they retired to whatever served as their homes or hovels, where they stayed until the new day dawned. These were the only human traits that remained, but there was no trace of humanity in their feral eyes.

I gazed down at the darkening streets, no longer recognisable in their Post Apocalyptic state, letting out a long, weary breath. We had been fighting for so long, fighting every day to see the next, and I was so tired. We had set up our home, our Haven, in an abandoned Hilton Hotel. It was sturdy, and luxurious, and it was safe.

Suddenly, I caught movement from the corner of my eye.

On the street below, a lone figure staggered from the shadows, displaying the erratic, jerking movements of the Infected.

Startled, I glanced up at the sky. It was a dark grey, shot with vibrant colours of pink and purple, the orange sun nothing more than a bright spark on the horizon.

Night had fallen, and yet an Infected we still up and about. The sight of him sent a shiver of dread up the length of my spine.

They weren't supposed to be out this late.

This was our time.

A shot rang out across the night and the figure fell.

"Lulu?"

At the sound of my lovers voice, heavy with fear and concern, I turned to find him sitting up, the covers bunched around his waist.

Dean Winchester.

My Love. My Soul. My Hero. So devastatingly handsome he stole my breath and broke my heart all in the one instant.

"I'm here" I said softly as I walked back to the bed, crawling beneath the covers and into his warm embrace.

Wrapping his arms around me tightly, he pressed his lips to my forehead. It was hard to be scared in this World when I had him.

"Is everything OK?" he asked.

"There was an Infected…"

He glanced across at the window, the World beyond it almost pitch dark.

"Infected?" he said incredulously. "This late?"

"Maybe they're adapting… Or evolving" I said, terrified at the thought of these abominations taking more of the World than they already had.

"Oh, that's just sensational" he sighed, propping himself up on an elbow and looking down at me. The love and worry in his eyes were dizzying. "You know I don't like waking up without you next to me" he said softly, his fingers tracing nonsense patterns down the length of my arm.

"I'm sorry" I apologised with a smile, pressing my hands to his broad chest. I could feel the steady 'bomp-bomp-bomp' of his heart beat. We had promised long ago, when the destruction of mankind had brought us together, that we would never fall asleep or wake up with out the other by our side. We had both lost so many loved ones and we could not bear losing each other. Even if we'd had a really shitty day, or had just fought with each other until we were both blue in the face, neither of us could sleep without the other by our side.

"Promise you'll never do it again" he demanded, a hint of a smile in his eyes. And I could never deny him anything.

"I promise" I grinned, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss that made my loins quiver. From the feel of his excitement straining against my thigh, I could tell it had the same effect on him.

"That's my girl" he smiled, and I was at his mercy.


	2. Suck It Up, Princess

I touched the end of the match to the candle wick, igniting it with a flame that burned bright in the darkened confines of the bathroom, casting ominous shadows across the pale yellow walls.

It did nothing, however, to abate the violent chill that assaulted my naked body. And it was only going to get worse.

"Ready?" Dean asked, gloriously naked in the flickering light of the candle, pouring a bucket of water into the crude shower we had constructed over the bath tub.

"I hate this" I gasped, stepping under the gentle trickle of ice cold water.

"Suck it up, Princess" he teased, joining me. Smiling, he pressed me up against the tiled wall, kissing me softly with his beautiful lips.

Laughing, I pushed him away and soaped up a wash cloth to bathe him. I ran the cloth across his chest and down his stomach, gently teasing him as I dipped lower. With water such a precious commodity these days, we had taken to showering together each night, collecting the water in the tub to reuse the next night. Continuous recycling until the water was too dirty to do any good.

"Where are we going tonight?" I asked, passing the cloth to Dean so he could take his turn washing me. Turning my back to him I pushed my fingers through the mess of fiery red curls that tumbled down my shoulders, doing the best I could to wash them. I used to spend a fortune on hair care products when those kinds of things still mattered, and now I was lucky to rinse my locks with a handful of water and a bar of lavender scented soap.

"Coupla towns over" he answered, reaching around to wash my front. I leaned back against him, wishing we could take the time to repeat our performance from earlier. In his arms, brought repeatedly to heights of pleasure I had never before known, I could forget all about what the World had been reduced to. With nothing more than a kiss, or a touch, he could almost make me believe that we weren't suffering through the Apocalypse. "We've picked the bones of everything here and supplies are starting run low. Those freaks are eating everything they can get their filthy hands on"

The shower stream started to taper to a slow drip and we stepped out of the tub, hastily grabbing the fluffy white towels to dry ourselves off with. I shivered, wrapping the towel around myself and raking my fingers through the tangled strands of my hair.

There was no electricity or running water in the Hotel, not since the Power and Water plant had exploded in the early days, so we lived in dark, artic conditions. It was miserable, but it was safe.

It was home.

Dean walked back into our bedroom in all his naked glory, humming an AC/DC song. Even in the dim light of the room, thanks to several tea candles on the dresser, I could make out the well defined muscles that rippled across his back. I felt a flush spread across my body as impure thoughts raced through my mind, warming me up some.

I followed him, dropping the towel on the floor and pulling some clean clothes from the dresser. I dressed on a pair of skinny leg jeans and flannel shirt that hugged my slender frame. Pulling on thick socks, I slipped my feet into my battered pair of black Army boots, scarred from War and hard-ship.

Looking up, I saw Dean dressed in his usual attire of jeans, t-shirt, an open shirt and his faithful brown leather jacket that had seen better days. He looked as handsome as ever.

Catching me staring, he grinned, lighting up his chiselled features, and I swear my heart actually stopped for several moments.

I was amazed every day that I had him in my life. He had saved me in those first days, risking his life for mine in such an act of Heroism that I had fallen in love with him in that instant. We had been inseparable from then on as we fought side by side, surviving while the rest of the World fell to the infection. It took only days for our relationship to turn serious and it wasn't only the End of the World that was keeping us together. Seven months later, we were more in love than ever.

Funnily enough, it was the longest relationship that either of us had ever had. And the irony of that did not escape us.

I smiled back, belting a thick holster around my waist that was fitted with two sleek handguns, tucking extra clips into my jeans pockets.

"I ever tell you how good you look with a gun?" he asked, equipping himself with his own holster. He palmed his battle weary sawn-off shot gun,

"A few times" I smiled, pulling my hair back into a messy bun. "But I like hearing it"

The hand-held transmitter on the dresser suddenly came to life with a sharp burst of static, startling me.

"Yo, boss… You there?"

Tucking his gun into his belt, Dean reached for the transmitter.

"I'm here, Fletch" he answered, sitting down on the bed and pulling his boots on.

"Crew's ready to head out. You and Princess ready to go?"

"On our way down now"

"Alright, be seein' ya"

"Think they'll have breakfast waiting for us?" I joked, strapping a machete to my leg. These days, there was no such thing as too much protection.

"Yeah" he smiled, scratching his fingers through his hair in a half-hearted effort to style it. "A massive buffet with bacon and eggs and freshly squeezed OJ"

"I'm Vegan, remember?" I pointed out. "Unless they've got tofu and soy milk I'm fresh outta luck, cowboy"

"That's right" he grimaced. "You're one of those free-lovin' hippie chicks, making daisy chains and singin' Kumbayah"

I pouted playfully, knowing full well that he was only teasing. But, if I was lucky, I'd be able to get some more loving before we had to go downstairs. I knew it was inevitable, but I'd take any chance to delay going outside where nightmares stalked the shadows.

Stepping forward, he looped his finger in my belt and pulled me closer, kissing me so deeply I felt it in my toes. After several long, heavenly moments, he stepped back, a smug look on his face.

"Forgiven" I breathed, light headed. Son of a bitch always had that affect on me.

"Lock and load" he grinned, cocking his gun.


	3. Hollow Darkness

**A/N - I am having an ablute blast writing this story (as you can tell from the fact that I've written and posted three chapters in the last three days) which originated from a rather pleasant dream I had... I applaude all those who have read along so far, and to those wonderful people who have added this story to their favourites I give my deepest thanks. I ask only one thing from all of you, please, oh please, oh please submit a review or two... I adore hearing what everyone thinks, and welcome all constructive criticism. SexySadie88, as my very first ever reviewer I pledge alliegence to you and all that you do! When I saw that lonely little 1 sitting up there beside 'Reviews' my heart actually skipped a beat. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I hope to hear from you soon. Anywho, please enjoy this next installment, and please pretty please let me know what you think!  
**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXO**

We made our way down eight flights of stairs, with only a torch and memory to guide us in the hollow darkness of the stairwell. Counting each step in my head, a nervous habit from before the End, I tried not to think of the arduous climb up we faced when we returned at dawn.

Reaching the ground floor, we walked through to the lobby where everyone had gathered around the glow of several Coleman lamps. The grandeur of the Hotel had been diminished by our need to survive. The full length, plate glass windows that would usually have offered glorious views of the front gardens had been bordered up with enough wood to rival even the biggest of Amazon forests. The first floor had been similarly fortified for added protection in the happenstance the Infected worked out how to use ladders.

"We're ready to roll, boss" Fletch called, his tall, lanky frame folded into a plush red armchair. He had a bandolier slung across his chest, a chunky rifle at his feet. Tapping his fingers against the arm of the chair and bouncing his feet, he was full of boisterous energy.

Beside him, Orla, a young woman with a mocha complexion and closely cropped black curls, sat cleaning her gun. Just like Fletch, she showed no fear.

We had learned long ago to be strong in the face of danger, even if, on the inside, we were whimpering like six year old girls. Weakness was a death sentence.

"Here, sweetness" a gentle voice said as middle aged Ruth handed me a chunk of homemade bread. The mother of our rag tag group, she was always looking after us, working herself to the bone to provide us with hearty meals from the scraps we were able to scavenge.

"Thank you" I said gratefully, tearing it in half and handing the larger piece to Dean.

He nodded his thanks to Ruth, walking across to the burly Manny, a former truck driver with almost every inch of his pale flesh covered with an array of tattoos. He once told me that each piece of ink carried a memory, but I was yet to hear about them.

Ruth patted my cheek with a motherly affection, her tired eyes full of concern.

"You be careful out there, child" she said, leaning in to press her lips gently to my forehead. "God be with you"

I smiled politely. I loved Ruth, but I was a staunch agnostic. Her devotion to God and continual blessings of our group sometimes made me uncomfortable, but I wasn't the one to challenge her beliefs. We only had each other these days and nothing was worth breaking the close bond we had all formed.

"Alright, let's head on out" Dean called, rallying the troops.

All five of us. Including Ruth, that made six.

In the whole of the city, the state... Hell, maybe the World, only six of us remained.

It had never been spoken of, but Dean was the unofficial leader of our little survivors group. Before the Infection set in, he had been a Hunter of the Supernatural, one of the best in the business if we were to believe his wild tales of paranormal adventures. Of all of us, he was better equipped to deal with this. That he become the Alpha male was natural.

"You all come back to me, you hear" Ruth called as we made our way out of the building through the hidden entrance. "God bless you with the strength to make it back to me"

Outside, the night was depressingly quiet. Hollow, and empty, and bone achingly cold.

We walked across the car park, weaving through the maze of rusted cars to our own convoy.

Two Army lorries, dubbed _Romero_ and _Tarantino_, a yellow pick up truck Manny had taken to calling _Sunflower_, and Dean's beloved black Impala. The classic car looked a little worse for wear but Dean would rather take another trip to Hell than lose her.

I knew he loved her more than me, but I was happy coming a close second. Besides, the car was just about as sexy as a car could get, and Dean looked fiercely gorgeous behind her wheel.

"We're heading to Langley Falls, small city about a half hour North of here" Dean started, spreading a map across the hood of the Impala. "We know the highway's pretty clear so stick to it. Any sign of an Infected, radio it in and hightail it out of there. Clear?"

"Yes, sir" Fletch saluted.

Dean rolled his eyes good-naturedly, more than used to Fletch's antics.

"Manny, you take the pick up" Dean started, folding the map up and tucking it into his jacket. Manny nodded, adjusting the black Stetson that held back his silver locks. "Fletch, take _Romero_. Lulu, Orla, think you two can handle _Tarantino_?"

"Like a pro" I grinned, linking arms with Orla. "Sisters are doing it for themselves, cowboy"

"Damn straight" she declared. Truth be told, she was like a sister to me. We were both twenty-two, shared similar tastes in music, and for all we knew, we were the last two young women on the face of the Planet. That kind of thing had the tendancy to lead to a BFF relationship.

"That's my girl" Dean smiled proudly.

Everyone headed to their respective vehicles. I walked across to Dean, my hands in my pockets. I hated this part the worst.

Leaving him, even for only a short while, was torture.

"Things get hairy, you run" he said, brushing a loose curl behind my ear. "Don't look back, just run"

"Ditto" I smiled sadly.

He pressed a quick, soft kiss to my lips, then slipped in behind the wheel of the Impala. His eyes met mine for a moment, and the concern burning in them touched me.

Taking a deep breath, I walked across to _Tarantino_ and climbed into the cab. Orla sat in the passenger seat, flicking through a small selection of CD's we had liberated from a broken down sedan several weeks earlier.

"Greenday, or Fall Out Boy" she asked as I gunned the engine. It roared to life with a defiant bellow. Luckily, the Infected were heavy sleepers. We could drop an A-Bomb out here and they probably wouldn't even notice.

"Fall Out Boy" I answered without hesitation, easing the truck into gear and following the others down the street. "Something with a good beat"

"Hell yeah" she laughed, slipping a disc into the CD player and within moments, _She's My Winona_ blared from the speakers.

As Orla sang along loudly, albeit badly, I glanced in the rear vision mirror at Dean, who was following closely behind us. His face was set in a hard line, clearly anxious about the night ahead.

I hoped we would make it through the night without incident. I hoped we would find enough supplies to last another few months.

I hoped with everything I had that I would be able to slip into bed with him in a few hours.


	4. When I Lay My Vengeance Upon Thee

**A/N - Just a quick, short filler while I work on the next chapter. Thank you to everyone for reading and to my two wonderful reviewers! You have both won my heart :-P.**

**I hope you all enjoy this, and again, please oh please R&R.**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXO**

The highway was agonisingly empty.

We had cleared it of cars months ago, and now they were lined up on the side of the road like soldiers, slowly rusting and fading after endless days exposed to the elements. It was a shame to see the fruits of so many peoples hard labour going to waste like they were meaningless. Everything everyone had worked hard for meant nothing now. Money, material belongings, social status…

The virus had taken everything and left us as equals.

"Alrighty then, folks" Fletch's voice crackled through the CB radio. "For the sixty-four thousand dollars… Who did Samuel L. Jackson play in Tarantino's classic, _**Pulp Fiction **_and what was the Bible verse he recited?"

"Jules Winnfield" Manny answered without missing a beat. "Fucking awesome movie, man"

"And the quote?"

There was a long pause.

"Fucked if I can remember" Manny sighed. "Pass"

"Manny's out. Anyone else willing to step up to the plate?"

"Ezekiel 25:17" I piped in. "_The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who in the name of charity and goodwill shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee_"

"And Lulu knocks it outta here" Fletch laughed loudly.

"Atta girl, Princess" Dean said.

I could hear Manny cursing quietly through the radio.

"Where the Hell did you pull that from, girl?" Orla asked, looking at me with raised eyebrows. "Ain't you a Vegan?"

"Doesn't mean I don't appreciate good cinema, and Tarantino is a God among men… Or, he was, at least" I said, knowing it was more than likely he was either dead or infected. "Next question Fletch"

"OK, now we're playing for the… Shit, what comes after the sixty-four big ones?"

Our own version of _Who Wants To Be A Millionaire_ was a common occurrence on raiding trips. It alleviated the stress and anxiety, and it was a Hell of a lot of fun. The questions were mostly related to music and movies because not a one of us were well versed in History or Science.

"Screw it, for the million dollars…" He paused for effect. "Who uttered the following line…'Yippy-ki-ay, mother fu…"

"The delectable John McClain" I smiled. "Die Hard's one through four"

"Hey!" Dean protested.

Orla reached across and took the mouth piece from me.

"Oh, honey" she said. "Ain't nobody got nothing on Mr Willis. That boy's a fine ass example of perfection"

"Yeah? Well that _boy_ is probably an infected freak running around killing little kids" Dean snapped.

Covering the mouth piece, Orla turned to me with a broad smile stretched across her pretty face.

"I think someone's jealous" she sing-songed playfully.

Laughing, I took the mouth piece from her.

"Dean, baby, you know you're the only one for me" I assured him. "Literally… There's only the three of you left, so it's not like I have much of a choice…"

"OK, OK, you can stop there" he interrupted, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "Manny, how far out are we?"

"About a mile or so"

I gazed out the window, watching the remains of the World flashing by. Our headlights cut a swathe through the heavy darkness that had swallowed everything. We passed over-turned cars and buses, a white limo on it's side with a white ribbon, tied onto the bonnet, rippling in the wind.

I imagined that there was a bride and groom inside, and that they had been able to enjoy one last moment of happiness before the Infected took it all away from them.

"Here we go" Manny's voice sounded in the cab of the lorry. "Rock and Roll"

I looked up as we passed a sign welcoming us to Langley Falls.

'_**Where Dreams Come True'**_ it read, and I laughed bitterly.

"More like nightmares" I muttered to myself as we turned into the main street.

There was no such thing as dreams anymore.


	5. Freaking El Dorado

**A/N - To all my loyal readers, thank you so much for reviewing! Bless the lot of you! Sorry this Chapter took so long to get up but FF wouldn't let me upload for the longest time!!! Oh well, it's here now. I hope you enjoy it, and please RnR!!**

**Oh, and don't worry, I most definantly haven't forgotten about the other nasties of the Supernatural World!!!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOXO**

We pulled up outside the local Postal Office, unable to continue thanks to a massive car accident sprawled across the road. Decaying bodies littered the wreckage like discarded garbage, blackened and bloated from months in the sun. This was the World now.

I fought the urge to vomit as I climbed out of the cab, shivering in the chill of the night. Reaching in behind the seat, I pulled out a thick black jacket and shrugged it on. I didn't know who had worn it last but it smelled of engine oil and cigar smoke. Oddly comforting.

"Manny, think we can get this cleared?" Dean asked, leaning against the trunk of the Impala. "Or should we find another way through?"

Manny surveyed the damage in front of us, scratching at his long grey beard.

"With all them rotters, it'd be easier just to go around" he answered finally, tapping a cigarette from his packet and bringing it to his lips. "Hell" he started, lighting it and taking a deep drag. "We could just go on foot, scope things out before we move on. There could be more wrecks on every street. It'd be best to know what we're up against before we navigate our way through"

Dean nodded, looking around at the ruins of the city centre. There was no sign of survivors, no indication that this town had seen any form of uninfected life for months.

If we were lucky, we could stock up on much needed supplies without incident. Enough at least to see us through a few more weeks. What little we had was declining at an alarming pace despite our best efforts.

Supplies had been hard to come by. During the first days, people had desperately looted everything they could get their hands on in the hopes of surviving until help came. Of course, no stalwart knight came riding in on a gallant white steed, and everybody had died. After the virus took over there had been very little for us to scavenge. The Infected had two desires. To kill and to eat. They moved through the city like locusts, consuming everything in their path of destruction. They had left nothing for us but rotting scraps. If not for Ruth's uncanny knack for turning flour and water into a meal, we'd have starved months ago.

"Two groups" Dean started, pulling his sawn-off from his belt. "Lulu and Manny, you take the East end. Fletch, Orla, we'll take the West. No more than an hour, we can't afford to linger"

Everyone nodded in agreement, almost eager at the chance to stretch their legs in the fresh air. We spent all of our time cooped up in the Hotel, and with no electricity and very few opportunities to let in the sunlight, it had the tendency to get stale and suffocating. As daunting and frightening as these trips were, they were also refreshing. I would have more preferred spending my time in the warm light of the sun, but I could handle a few hours of moonlit adventures.

I looked across at Manny and smiled. He flashed me a pleasant grin, hefting a large shotgun over his shoulder. Despite being a teddy bear, he looked intimidating and I was glad he was on our side.

If I'd come up against him as one of the Infected there's no way I would have stood a chance.

Walking across to Dean, I double-checked the clips in my guns. I was always amazed at how natural they felt in my hands. I was a waitress from Preen County, Georgia, and before the virus the closest I'd come to a gun was laser tag at the local Arcade. But now, I was as comfortable with them as I was with my own body.

"Be careful out there, Princess" Dean said, popping the trunk open and sorting through the cache of weaponry inside. He handed me a large silver flask. There was a small cross etched on the curved face.

Holy Water.

If the World being overrun by Infected murderers wasn't enough, we also had to deal with demons, and vampires, and werewolves… Oh my!

The World was a freaking madhouse.

"You, too" I said softly, slipping my arms around his neck and kissing him. He returned the kiss hungrily, snaking his hands around to my backside for a good luck grope.

Laughing, I broke the kiss, smacking him playfully in the chest.

He grinned, brushing his fingers against my chin.

"Manny, look after her" he called out to the trucker, smacking my butt as I walked away. "And don't sneak up on her… She's a wild shot" he teased.

"Screw you" I smiled. I gave Fletch and Orla a quick hug, like I did every time we went out scavenging. I thought of it as a good luck ritual. A superstition of sorts. If I hugged them, or kissed them, or threw salt over my left shoulder and turned three times in a circle, then they'd make it through the night and I wouldn't have to feel the pain of loss all over again.

After all, there used to be eleven of us.

Following the glow of a Coleman lamp, Manny and I walked down the street surveying the mess that the city had become.

Store fronts smashed and smeared with vile slogans, some of which I didn't understand; the burnt out husks of cars abandoned in the streets and car parks; bodies decaying where they had fallen, their limbs gnawed at by desperate and hungry animals…

It was heartbreaking.

"How's your gut?" Manny asked as we weaved our way through a sea of rotting bodies. He seemed unconcerned with the brutality of it.

"I'm surviving" I grimaced, choking back the bile rising in my throat. Now matter how many dead bodies I saw, I could never get used to them. The sight of them, grey and bloated… The stench…

Manny looked at the street signs, trying to decide which way to go. Both streets offered nothing but ominous darkness.

"Eenie, meanie, miney, moe…" I said softly.

"This way smells less funky" Manny said, leading me down the left street.

We walked for what felt like a lifetime until we came to a sight that literally stilled our hearts.

"Well I'll be damned" Manny breathed, his jaw dropping.

I couldn't believe my eyes. It couldn't be real. It had to be a mirage. Or a figment of our desperate imaginations.

There was no way a Wal-Mart store could be untouched in this day and age.

But, like a diamond in the rough, there it was. As pure and whole as the day it was built, with a hand-painted sign written across the front.

"GRAND OPENING: Thursday 4th of June" It hadn't even seen the light of day before the World was plunged into Hell.

The full length windows had been fitted with metal shutters, protecting the store from the onslaught of the infected. We had hit the jackpot.

"Hey, boss" Manny said into the hand-held radio. "We found something… You gotta see this"

"Good news?" Dean's voice came through the receiver. He sounded frustrated. I could hear Fletch and Orla arguing in the background.

"Baby" I said, taking the radio from Manny. "We found freaking _El Dorado_"

It was at that moment an Infected stumbled around the corner.


	6. Sweet Thing

I didn't hesitate for even a moment as I drew my gun and fired. The movement was reflexive and effortless, as though I had been shooting my whole life.

The thunderous boom of gunfire echoed through the lonely night.

I missed by mere millimetres. The bullet hit a STOP sign behind the figure with a sharp _ping_.

Startled, the figure lifted its head and looked at me with red-rimmed eyes. It was a man. Painfully thin and unkempt. He smelled like rotting meat.

"Please…" he whispered, his voice deep and ragged. "Please…"

That gave me pause.

The Infected didn't talk. They no longer possessed the intelligence to form coherent words. They made no sound but the pitiful moan as they stalked the street, looking for something to satiate their urges.

"Please" he choked, coughing violently. "I'm so hungry"

Beside me, Manny had his gun trained on the filthy man, his finger hovering over the trigger.

In this new World, you couldn't trust anyone. No matter how pitiful or desperate they appeared.

"Please" He stumbled closer weakly. He didn't look like he could go for much longer.

"What's your name?" I asked warily, holding the gun at arms length, one hand propped on the other like Dean had taught me. This guy was giving me a serious case of the Heebie-Jeebies. Something about him was off.

"I'm so hungry" He came closer still, his gaze never leaving me. There was something in his eyes that frightened me. They seemed to glow with a hunger that was not human.

"Lady asked you a question, pal" Manny said firmly, taking a protective step closer to me.

He licked his lips, inching closer.

I knew then that we were fucked.

"Hey, pal, back the fuck off" Manny said, stepping forward with his gun raised.

The man snarled savagely, grabbing Manny by the shoulders and tossing him effortlessly into the building with enough force to knock him unconscious.

"Manny" I screamed, firing the gun. I hoped Dean and the others had heard. I couldn't survive this on my own.

I missed again as the man ducked and lunged toward me. He knocked the gun from my hand, laughing.

"I'm hungry" he taunted, his thin lips pulled back to reveal a nasty set of needle sharp teeth.

A vampire.

A goddamn, freaking vampire.

I reached for my other gun and fired it into the air until the clip was empty. They had to have heard that.

"No one's gonna save you, sweet thing" he laughed cruelly, circling me with the sleek movements of a lion. "It's just you, and me" He leered at my curvy figure appreciatively, and I could almost see the vile thoughts running through his mind.

With an inhuman cry, he pounced.

I was almost ashamed of the girly scream that escaped my lips, but I was too busy shitting my pants to care. I dodged his attack, scooping up Manny's gun as I ran down the street as fast as my shaking legs would take me.

"You can run, sweet thing, but you can't hide" the vampire called, and I could hear amusement in his voice.

He was enjoying this.

I had no idea where I was going, I just ran blindly, desperately. The sharp sting of the cold wind hit my eyes painfully, unleashing a torrent of tears that could have been more from fear than anything else.

The sound of his heavy footfalls was getting steadily closer, and his taunts were becoming more and more disturbing. He promised to do things to me that made my stomach churn painfully.

"DEAN!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, my breath coming in ragged gasps, a stitch burning hotly in my side. I couldn't run forever.

Suddenly, I felt an ice-cold hand wrap around my neck, and I was thrown to the ground.

A bolt of pain shot through my body as my head hit the pavement. Darkness hovered at the edge of my vision and I saw stars. A river of hot blood gushed down the side of my face, staining my shirt.

"Mmmm, dinner" the vampire grinned, crouching over me. He leaned forward and lapped at the blood like a kitten to milk.

Whimpering, I reached my hand out, searching for Manny's gun. My fingers curled around the cold, hard barrel and I swung it around like a bat, hitting the vampire hard across the head.

He cried out, falling off me, clutching his head.

I struggled to my feet, wiping blood from my eyes and staggering away from the vampire. My head swam and nausea burned deep in my belly. Overcome by dizziness, I leaned against the side of a building, hugging the gun to my chest like a safety blanket.

"You little bitch" the vampire spat angrily, leaping to his feet. "You're gonna pay for that"

Weakly, I lifted the gun towards him as he lunged at me.

"Give it up" he snarled, stopping barely two feet from me. I could smell his vile breath. "Guns won't kill me, sweet thing"

"But this will, you son of a bitch" came Deans furious voice as his machete sliced through the air, decapitating the vampire in a fluid movement.

It didn't make a sound as it dropped lifelessly to the ground, its head rolling comically down the sidewalk.

I choked back a sob as I dropped to the ground, the gun falling uselessly beside me.

"Lulu" Dean called, falling to his knees beside me and taking my face in his hands. "Baby, are you OK?"

"My knight in shimmering armour" I smiled through the tears.

"Did it bite you?" he asked, wiping blood from my face with the corner of his shirt.

"No" I assured him.

"Any of its blood get into yours?"

"No, no, I wasn't infected" Just saying that word chilled me to the bone. The Croatoan virus wasn't the only infection we had to worry about. It was an unsettling reality.

"Jesus" he growled, wrapping his arms around me and hugging me close. I sobbed softly against his chest.

"Manny…" I started, wiping bloodstained tears from my cheeks.

"Fletch and Orla are with him" Dean said, gently helping me to my feet. "Are you sure you're OK?"

"I'm fine" I smiled, swaying uneasily.

"I knew I shouldn't have let you go off alone" he said, gallantly sweeping me into his arms and carrying me down the sidewalk. "It's not safe out here any more"

"I wasn't alone" I started, resting my head against his shoulder. "Manny was with me"

"Fat lot of good that did" he snarled.

"Don't take it out on him" I argued. "That thing came out of nowhere, there's nothing he could have done"

"I just don't wanna lose you, Princess" he said softly, pressing his lips to the top of my head.

"I'm not planning on going anywhere" I smiled, lifting my head and kissing him. "I promise"

I just hoped that I could keep that promise.


	7. Talcum Powder and Cloth Nappies

**A/N - Thanks so very, very much to all of my beautiful reviewers! In the immortal words of LeAnn Rimes (Or whoever wrote the song) "You light up my life" ... :-P I'm glad so many people are enjoying the story, because I am having a blast writing it! I hope you like the next little installment, it's just a little filler. And don't forget, I'd love it if you could R&R!!!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOX**

Our _El Dorado _turned out to be a brand-spanking new Wal-Mart store that had been looking forward to its Grand Opening before the end of the World had ruined their chance of a fancy celebration. And from the looks of this small city, it had been a highly anticipated addition to a rather lacklustre shopping selection.

The store was untouched, untainted… It hadn't been desecrated by the filthy, stinking hands of the Infected. They weren't the sharpest tools in the shed. Anything more than a flimsy window or open door had them dumbfounded.

Inside this glorious treasure trove there was bound to be a plentiful bounty for us inside that could keep us sustained for months, if not years. This was our godsend, our saving grace, or whatever they called it.

For us, this was _hope_.

…We just had to get inside.

"Why can't we break a window?" Fletch grumbled, shining light on the lock that Dean was trying to pick. It had been ten minutes, and because he was an immature brat, he was getting impatient.

"Because, dumbass" Orla started. "We ain't gonna get all of this back to the hotel tonight and we don't want those Infected fucks getting in here and taking the spoils"

"Quit your goddamn complaining" Dean snapped, more than a little frustrated. My run in with the psycho vampire hadn't exactly helped with this already stressful situation. He hadn't even looked at Manny since the five of us had reconvened at the Post Office where we'd left the vehicles, and he hadn't let me out of his sight. The others had been given the task of moving the vehicles to the Wal-Mart while Dean patched me up.

Nothing I'd said had managed to wipe the scowl from his handsome face.

I sat on the hood of the pick up, nursing my head in my hands. The headache pounding painfully inside my bruised skull was starting to get on my last nerve. I wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep for a week.

Manny stood off to one side, smoking with his head bowed. I could almost feel the guilt rolling off him in thick, black waves. But he wouldn't listen to anything I had to say, no matter how many times I told him that I didn't blame him for what had happened.

The dynamic of our group felt like it was unravelling, and I was afraid there was nothing I could do to stop it. All we had in this World was each other, and if we fell apart…

I couldn't even think about it.

There was a resonant _click_, and the heavy door swung open.

"Happy?" Dean said, standing and glaring at Fletch, a thunderous expression on his face.

I eased myself off the pick up and started towards him, ready to step in if things turned violent.

"Easy, man" Fletch smiled uneasily, hands raised in a sign of surrender.

"Dean, please" I said softly, laying my hand on his arm. I could feel the tension pulsing through his body.

He shoved his lock-pick kit into his pocket and looked at me, his eyes taking in the deep blue bruise forming around my left eye. He softened instantly.

"I'm sorry" he said with a sigh, brushing his fingers roughly through his hair. "It's just…"

"Hey, no need to explain, man" Fletch grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "None of us want to see Princess kick the bucket. I mean, she's got the whole minxy red curls and banging body…"

And with that, the tension between everyone dissipated as we all enjoyed a laugh.

"I really am sorry, Dean" Manny said, flicking his smoke into the shadows. "I tried…"

"It's OK" Dean patted him on the back, a gesture of forgiveness amongst men. "I know it wasn't your fault. I just get a little crazy when it comes to my girl"

"OK, enough with the chick flick moment" Orla huffed impatiently. "Can we get this show on the road? I need me some freaking chocolate"

And with that, we stepped into the store.

The stench of death that assaulted us was so strong I puked. And it wasn't pretty.

I was followed by Orla, Fletch and Manny. Only Dean kept his cool.

I didn't know whether to be impressed or disturbed.

"The fuck is that?" Manny gagged. Poor Fletch was still bringing up the contents of his stomach.

"That, my friends, is the stink of a rotting corpse" Dean said, slipping his sawn-off shotgun from his belt. "Maybe more than one"

"I don't even wanna ask how you know that" Orla winced as she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth.

I held the Coleman lamp up in front of us and looked around. We were in the loading bay. And pallets of stock were lined up as far as the eye could see.

"Holy Mother of a …" Fletch gasped, lowering himself down onto a nearby half-pallet of talcum powder and cloth nappies. "We have hit the goddamn mother load"

"You guys stay here" Dean said, cocking his gun. "I'm gonna go see if I can find what's making that stink"

"No, we go together" I exclaimed, the sound echoing loudly in the acoustics of the loading bay. "What if it's an Infected? Another vampire? A goddamn freaking demon? We go together"

Dean looked at me, and for a moment I thought he was going to argue with me, not that it would have been the first time. But, instead, he nodded.

"OK" he said. "We go together"

"First things first" Manny interjected, pulling a hunting knife from his belt. He used it to cut open the pallet Fletch was sitting on, and handed everyone a white cloth nappy.

"I'm not expecting to shit myself, Manny" Fletch laughed.

"It's for the smell, jackass"

Feeling kind of silly, all of us, except Dean, tied the nappies around the lower halves of our faces. I was pleased to find the stench diminish enough to be tolerable.

"Stay close" Dean said, leading us across the concrete floor to the swinging plastic doors that had been smeared with bloody handprints. "Shoot first, ask questions later. Got it?"

And with that, we stepped into the store.


	8. Oh So Very Creepy

**A/N - To my sweet reviewers, thanks you so much for all your kind words... Seeing my numbers grow literally makes my heart swell. Eminimchick15, you are as sweet as Rice Milk (which, as a Vegan, I drink a lot of, and it is very sweet!). I love writing this story so much that I'm trying to update every day if I can. I work shift work at a hotel, so it can be hard some days, but I promise to update regularly! I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter, and that it lives up to your expectations.**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOXO**

The glare of the Coleman lamps did nothing to cut through the thick darkness that saturated the inside of the store.

It was creepy.

Silent, dark, and oh so very creepy.

We stayed as close together as we comfortably could, careful not to tread on each other's toes.

But, typically, Fletch managed to clip the heels of almost everyone.

"Son of a bitch" Dean hissed, stumbling. "Step on my feet one more time and I'm gonna shove that lamp so far up your ass your eyes'll glow like a freaking Jack-O-Lantern"

"Sorry, man" Fletch apologised sheepishly, falling back to the end of our little procession.

"We need more light" Orla whispered, clutching her rifle to her chest. Her voice trembled, betraying her usually steely composure.

It was hard not to be scared shitless when you were surrounded by an ominous darkness that swallowed every last sliver of light.

"Anyone hazard a guess as to where we might find some?" Manny asked.

"Well, if this store is like all the others, it'll be aisle eighteen… To our left" Fletch answered, a hint of pride in his voice. "I spent a lot of time in Wal-Marts"

"Not something to be proud of" Dean said, shining the light in the direction Fletch had indicated.

"I always liked Wal-Mart" I said, staying close to Dean as he led us to Aisle 18. The smell that had permeated the air inside the store was getting stronger. "Had a sense of home about it, y'know"

We reached Aisle 18...

… And found three decomposing corpses sprawled across the floor. Each of them had gaping holes in their heads, blood and grey matter splattered across the lime green linoleum around them.

The stench was indescribable.

I managed to bite back the bile churning in my belly, but Fletch wasn't so lucky. He ducked into the next aisle and retched loudly. Dean didn't even bat an eyelid.

"Fifty bucks says they were infected" Manny said, clearing his throat. "Came into the store for last minute touches, turned, and got their asses blown to shit by whoever else was in here"

"Think they could still be alive?" I asked, hope rising in my voice. To find someone alive after all these months would be a miracle.

"It's not like they'd have run short of supplies" Dean said, stepping over the bodies and taking three Coleman's from the shelf. He ignited them and handed them to Manny, Orla and me.

The sheer brilliance of them all together was almost blinding, but at least gave us enough light to feel more secure.

Fletch rejoined us, wiping his chin with the cloth nappy. He still looked a little green around the edges, but I doubted he had anything left to bring up.

"The smell's heaps bad here" Orla said, resolutely not looking at the bodies. "I reckon these are the only corpses"

"Better safe than sorry" Dean shrugged.

We searched the rest of the store, each aisle, each display. We looked on top of the shelves, and behind the clothing racks, and found nothing.

That left only the office.

I slipped my pistol back into the holster, and withdrew my machete. Guns worked well in open spaces, but blades or blunt objects were a far cry more safer in close confines. The weight of it in my hand was reassuring.

We walked toward the office with a bolder step than before. Having come across no other nasty surprise than the dead bodies, we were feeling confident.

We walked passed the check outs, lined with red, white and blue streamers, and up the seven steps leading to the managers office. The nameplate on the closed door read 'Stanley Prince'. It gleamed magnificently in the glow of the lamps.

Dean pressed his ear carefully to the door, listening for any sound coming from inside. After a few silent moments, he looked at us and gave a quick nod.

He wrapped his fingers around the door handle and turned it.

The door creaked as he eased it open.

"All clear…" he started to say.

With a blood-curdling scream, a figure launched itself from the office and tackled Dean to the ground, sending his lamp flying. It was a girl; maybe fifteen or sixteen, naked save for a Christmas tie wrapped around her head and a pair of horribly stained Spiderman panties. She was painfully thin and smelled like shit.

Literally.

"Dean!" I shouted, thrown back into Manny, which was about as pleasant as hitting a brick wall. I righted myself quickly and reached out for the girl, trying, without success, to pull her off him.

She pounded her tiny fists into his chest and face, screaming a string of incoherent words.

"Son of a bitch" Dean spat angrily, holding his arms up to his face, trying to protect himself.

Dropping the machete and lamp to the floor, I buried both hands into her filthy tangle of blonde hair and pulled with every ounce of strength I had.

She came free, tossing and bucking like a wild cat, clawing her bloodied fingers at Dean as I dragged her unceremoniously down the steps.

"Don't help, or anything" I said to the others, glaring angrily at them.

Manny pushed past Fletch and Orla, both gaping at the wild girl, and took a hold of her flailing legs. She bucked, kicking her feet out and striking him hard in the face. He swore viciously, letting go of her legs and bringing his hands to his face. Blood gushed from his nose.

Screaming like a banshee, the girl fought against me with a strength I couldn't believe she had. She dug her fingernails into my arms hard enough to draw blood.

Stepping forward, Dean hit her in the head with the butt of his gun.

She went limp, the echo of her screams falling silent.

"Is she infected?" Fletch asked.

"No, I don't think so" Dean said, wiping blood from his lips. "She's more talkative than they are"

"She's some kind of messed up" Orla said.

I walked over to a display of bed sheets and pulled a crisp white sheet from the pile. I draped it over the still form of the girl, attempting to reclaim some of her dignity. No girl that young, no matter how crazy, should have her innocence on show.

"She probably had to kill the others" I said softly, smoothing back a matted lock of hair from her face. Behind all of the blood and grime, she was pretty. "They were probably her friends. A thing like that is bound to send a person crazy"

She reminded me of my little sister.

"You OK?" Dean asked, kneeling down beside me. He took my arm in his hand and inspected the crescent-shaped cuts. They weren't very deep and the blood had already dried up.

"Am I OK?" I smiled, forcing the image of my sister from my mind. "You're the one who got beat up by a tween"

"She caught me by surprise" he said defensively.

Laughing, I stood, pressing my lips to the top of his head.

"Keep telling yourself that, Cowboy" I teased. I walked back up to the office and retrieved my machete, slipping it into the sheath strapped to my calf.

"Manny, you OK?" I asked the trucker, wincing at the mess of blood staining his beard and shirt. His nose was at an unnatural angle and it didn't take a genius to see that it was broken.

"Fucking bitch" he mumbled.

"Fletch, think you can find an ice pack or something?"

"First aid, aisle nine" he said, looking relieved to be given something to do. The emergence of the girl had clearly upset him. Handing his gun to Orla, he bounded away.

I stepped closer to Manny. I could already make out the shadow of a bruise forming beneath each of his deep brown eyes.

"Want me to… reset it, or something?" I asked, my stomach rolling at the thought.

"I'm good" he said, pressing his hands to either side of the break. With a pained grunt, he forced the cartilage back into place. The sickening wet sound echoed in the desolate darkness. "Not my first broken nose, Princess"

Shuddering, I looked away, thoroughly grossed out.

"So, what do we do now?" Orla asked, setting her lamp on a checkout and leaning against the magazine rack.

With his hands on his hips, Dean surveyed the store around us, a childlike glint in his eyes. He looked across at me with a broad grin lighting up his impossibly handsome face.

"We go shopping"


	9. Full Bellies and Sweet Dreams

**A/N - A big, fuzzy hug to my loyal reviewers! You keep the song in my heart going with your beautiful words! This is just a short filler before the action kicks in again... I figured they needed a bit of a breather. I sincerely hope you enjoy.**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOX**

Dean wanted to tie the girl up, for her safety and for our own. He thought he was being noble.

I, the Vegan hippy chick who apparently sang Kumbayah and danced naked at Pagan festivals, did not. The poor girl had been through so much already, living for months on her own in this store with the rotting bodies of her friends, and I didn't see the sense in subjecting her to more pain and confusion.

After almost ten fiery minutes of arguing, during which spiteful words and threats to withhold sex were shared, I won. I took pride in my victory.

While Dean went off to gather useful supplies, muttering angrily to himself, I wrapped the sheet around the bony form of the girl, and eased her gently onto the display mattress in an attempt to make her more comfortable.

I still couldn't believe that, after all these months, someone else had survived…

Especially someone so young.

"She sure is a pretty little thing, ain't she" Orla said as she walked by, nibbling on a large chocolate bar. Her trolley was filled with tinned fruit and vegetables, boxes piled high on each other.

"Yeah, she is" I said softy, smoothing hair away from her face. She looked so peaceful. So innocent. Her resemblance to my sister was heartbreaking, but I forced myself not to think about her.

"Which way d'ya think the coffee is?" Orla asked around a mouthful of chocolate.

"Is that really a crucial necessity?" I smiled, standing up and stretching my aching muscles. I wondered briefly if a long, hot bath would be at all possible when we got home. I would be happy to add bubble bath to our list of vital supplies.

It had been agreed that tonight we would get only the most essential supplies; food, water, camping goods and first aid materials. We would load up as much as we could and transport it back to the hotel before the sun came up and the Infected emerged from wherever they went when the night came.

And tomorrow night, we would come back and have some fun.

After all, we deserved a little entertainment after all the hardship we had faced.

"Hell yeah it is" she exclaimed, looking at me like I was the crazy one. "You have any idea how long it's been since I've had a good cup of java?"

"Good point" I said with a laugh as she walked away. In all honesty, I had been craving creamed corn and refried beans for the longest time and just the thought of them was enough to make my mouth water. From here on in, we could actually live a fulfilled existence. We could actually go to bed content, with full bellies and sweet dreams. After we had cleared this store out, there wouldn't be any reason for us to leave the hotel and risk our lives ever again. We could go back to living somewhat normal lives.

I could barely contain the happiness that swelled in my chest.

With one last look at the unconscious girl, I walked across to the trolley bay and pulled one of the gleaming metal beasts from where it was lined up like a disciplined soldier. I headed towards the dry foods section, peering down the aisles at where my fellow survivors were busy filling trolley after trolley. Each of them was indulging in a luxury treat as they worked; Orla had her chocolate, Fletch had demolished two packets of red liquorice, and Manny was sipping on a warm bottle of beer.

Only Dean had gone without. He was too busy staring hungrily at the glass display cabinets that held an assortment of shiny guns. He wanted them… Bad.

Leaving the trolley at the head of the aisle, I walked over to him, letting my hair loose and ruffling the curls that cascaded down my shoulders.

"Well, howdy there, Cowboy" I drawled, bumping my hip playfully against his. The thought of living a near carefree existence made me feel more alive than I had in a very long time. And I wanted to share that with the boy that I loved best.

"Someone's in a good mood" he smiled down at me.

"Aren't you?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his neck. I suddenly wanted to do unspeakable things to this man right here in the Gun's and Ammo aisle. Relief was like an aphrodisiac to me.

"I guess…" he started, but I interrupted, pulling him in for a deep, lingering kiss.

Time around us seemed to stop.

"What has gotten into you?" he laughed when I broke the kiss to catch my breath.

"Can't you feel it?" I breathed, pressing my hands to his chest. I could feel the steady pounding of his heart against my hands, and knew, like only a woman could, that it was beating in time with my own. It just went to prove that we had been made for each other. "This… This is going to make everything better and easier for us"

"Lu, this doesn't mean that it's over" he said softly, taking my face in his hands. "It helps, for sure, but this isn't the end. We still have a long way to go"

"But can't you feel a weight being lifted from your shoulders? All the fighting we've done, all the dangers and horrors we've faced… We can live off all of this for years" Feeling giddy, I pulled him in for another kiss. "I know it's not over… I know it might never be over. But this is _hope_, this is a _chance_ for us to survive for a long time to come"

He let out a long breath, pressing his forehead to my own. I knew he wasn't as optimistic as I was. He suffered from a severe case of pessimism, brought on by a lifetime of evil and darkness, and there was nothing I could say or do to change his ways.

But I knew that our struggle for survival was over. Things were only going to get better.


	10. The Hollow Men Are Coming By

**A/N - Sorry for the delay, loyal readers. I've been doing graveyard shifts at work and I'm sooooo tired!!! But, I managed to write this one in between work and falling asleep in bizarre places... Like in the bath tub and in the kitchen while attempting to cook dinner! Anywho, I hope you enjoy it!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOXOX**

Six hours later and the vehicles were full to bursting. But we'd barely made a dent in the Wal-Mart supplies. It would take a week, or two, to strip the shelves and clear out the loading bay, leaving behind nothing more than an empty store and three rotting corpses.

There was a sense of nervous urgency as we loaded the last of the trolleys into _Romero_.

It was half four in the morning, and the sun would be rising within the hour, the Infected emerging from the shadows for another day of death and destruction.

"Get a move on, guys" Dean called, dropping a cartoon of long life soy milk into the back of the yellow pick up. "We're burning darkness here"

I wheeled another trolley, laden with rice and pasta, out onto the loading dock.

"This is the last of them" I said, brushing wayward curls from my sweaty brow. I was thoroughly exhausted, and my former enthusiasm was fading quickly. I didn't even think I had the energy to enjoy a hot bubble bath. And that in itself was a shame.

Manny took the trolley and pushed it unceremoniously into the back of the lorry. For a moment, I thought it wouldn't fit, but he managed to secure it with a length of nylon rope.

"Let's get the fuck out of here" he muttered gruffly, closing the back of the lorry with a curse.

"Amen to that" Orla agreed, stretching.

We were all feeling it, and not in a good way. The sooner this was over, the better.

"That's everything" Fletch announced. He leapt from the loading dock with more energy than the rest of us had. Something had spooked him in the store and he was obviously happy to leave.

"No" I said. "The girl. We have to take her with us"

The others looked at me like I'd just spoken Swahili, or Mandarin. They weren't too fond of the idea.

"I'm not leaving her here" I said firmly, crossing my arms across my chest.

"Fine" Dean sighed unhappily. "Fletch, take _Romero_. Radio Ruth and let her know where on our way home. Manny, Orla, take _Tarantino_. Lu, you can take the pick up. I'll put the girl in with me. But if she does anything to the Impala, I swear I'll leave her on the side of the road"

"I'll take her" I interjected. "How do you think she's gonna feel when she wakes up in a car with a strange man? She's safer with me"

Again, I could tell that he wanted to argue. I loved it when he played the part of the white knight, but I really didn't need him trying to protect me every single minute of every single day.

"Makes sense" Manny shrugged. Even in the darkness, I could see the unhealthy glow of the black bruises beneath his eyes. She sure had done a number on him. "We don't wanna shake her up more than she is"

Dean and I went back into the store, and brought the girl out. In his arms, she looked so tiny, and so vulnerable. The fact that she was still unconscious unnerved me. I hoped Dean hadn't done too much damage.

We set her gently into the passenger seat of the pick up, wrapped tightly in the bed sheet.

The others set off, flashing their headlights as they chugged past.

"You follow close, you here" Dean said, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips. "I'd rather you in the Impala, but until Orla gets off her ass and learns to drive, that ain't gonna happen"

"I'm gonna be OK" I assured him, even though I was trembling on the inside. One of these days, I'd learn not to be scared.

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart" I grinned, kissing him again.

He brushed his fingers against my cheek and walked over to the Impala. With one last glance over his shoulder, he climbed in behind the wheel and gunned the engine.

I slid into the pick up, looking across at the girl.

I could not get over her resemblance to my little sister. The curve of her lips. The hollow at the base of her throat. The fiery spark in her green eyes.

I fully expected her to know who I was when she woke up. To say my name, the same as Millie had done her entire life. To curl up in my arms and cry because the boy at school had broken up with her because she supposedly kissed like a fish.

But I knew it couldn't be her. With all my heart and all my soul, I knew it wasn't Millie.

Because I had killed her with my own hands.

I turned the key, igniting the engine, and followed Dean out onto the street.

The lazy tunes of Willie Nelson eased from the speakers, as smooth and sweet as fresh honey.

Manny was a country boy at heart.

We sped down the deserted streets faster than was humanely safe, but too eager to get home before the sun peaked over the horizon. I followed Dean just as he had asked, trying my hardest not to fall too far behind.

But the pick up was no match for the Impala and soon I was several too many car lengths behind him. I reached for the radio to warn, but beside me, the girl stirred.

"It's OK, honey" I said in a calm, soothing voice, bracing myself for another violent outburst.

She woke groaning, and looked across at me. Her eyes were blank, almost unseeing.

"The night birds are dead now" she said, her voice void of emotion, pressing her hands to the window. Her arms were so thin I winced.

"What night birds?" I asked.

"Can't even shout, can't even cry" she sang softly. "The hollow men are coming by"

"I don't know what that means"

"They're gonna eat your brain and gain your knowledge…"

I frowned, having no idea what she was going on about. Night birds? Hollow men? She was bat shit crazy.

Suddenly, an animal darted across the road in front of the pick up. A deer, maybe. Or a dog.

Against my better judgement, I wrenched the wheel to the side, stomping heavily on the break.

For a moment, as we skidded in a wide arch, smoke billowing from the tires, I thought we'd be OK. The pick up was strong. It was sturdy.

But the Powers That Be had other plans.

The flipped, like it was nothing more than a toy, rolling heavily down the street.

I screamed. The girl screamed. The frame of the pick up screamed.

And then all around me, the World went black.


	11. The World Was Upside Down

**A/N - Thank you to my stunningly awesome reviewers, I'm so glad you're enjoying this story as much as I am! Yes, part of what the crazy chick said was... ahem... liberated from Buffy, some from T.S. Eliot, and some from Planet Terror. I hope you enjoy this next installment, and that the teeny little twist at the end gets you as excited as it got me!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOXO**

The World was upside down.

As I opened my eyes, blinking through the haze of red that blurred my vision, I could not for the life of me think why the World was not how it should be.

The pressure of the seat belt was tight across my chest, painful, suffocating. I could feel blood rushing to my cheeks. And then, I remembered.

I could remember the screaming, the dizzying blur as the pick up spun like a carnival ride.

The World was upside down and I was trapped in a garish yellow pick up truck.

"Awesome" I wheezed, knowing that Dean was going to kill me for breaking our promise. I fumbled for the release button on the seat belt and pressed it without thinking. I fell awkwardly to the roof of the pick up, banging my head hard enough to see stars. I could only imagine the nasty concussion I would suffer.

Swearing, I pressed my hand to my forehead to stem the flow of blood. The gash from earlier had reopened, unleashing another torrent of hot blood that stained my fiery curls. I had bled more in that one night than I had in my whole life.

I flexed my arms and legs as much as I could in the limited space of the cab, testing for any broken bones. I was stiff and sore, but nothing is broken.

That, in itself, is a miracle.

Beside me, the girl groaned, and I remembered that I was not alone. That would take a lot of getting used to.

"Sweetie, are you OK?" I asked, reaching for her.

She jumped at my touch, crying out.

"The hollow men are coming!" she screamed. "The night birds are dead and the hollow men are coming! They're coming! They're coming!"

"Yeah, I know" I sighed, releasing the seat belt and taking care to cradle her as she fell.

She scrambled away from me, pressing her tiny frame up against the passenger side window. She was trembling so hard that I could hear her teeth chattering. Her eyes were wild.

She was so scared I could practically smell the fear on her.

"It's OK, sweetie" I said, reaching for the radio to get in touch with Dean. The crash had knocked it off our frequency. I could imagine Dean getting frantic as he tried to get in contact with me. He had probably already turned around and was on his way to save the day… Again.

The girl chirped. She sounded like a robin, maybe, or a cardinal… I didn't know birds. She hugged her arms around her bony knees, rocking back and forth as she chirped and tweeted, sounding so much like a bird that I expected her to sprout wings and fly away. I imagined that she used to be a Girl Scout. That she studied the calls of hundreds of birds, earning a colourful badge to add to her cute little outfit.

It was then that I dubbed her Birdie. A name so cute and so fitting that I smiled. Crazy Little Birdie.

Fumbling, I twisted the tuning knob, searching for our frequency so fast that I almost missed the unfamiliar voice pleading for anyone listening to make contact.

My heart stopped and, for a moment, I could not find my breath.

"… if you can hear this, there are four of us. We are not infected. We can offer you food and shelter. We can offer you protection…"

His voice was deep, melodic, so soothing I could feel my body relaxing of its on accord.

I picked up the mouthpiece. My hand was shaking so violently that I almost dropped it.

"Hello?" I said, my voice breaking.

The voice stopped, and I feared that I had imagined it. That I had a serious head injury, the effect of which was hearing voices in my head. And that would be just freaking awesome.

After the longest time, he spoke again, and I let out a long breath.

"Are you human?"

"Are you?" I countered.

He laughed. Honest to God, he laughed, and it was like music to my ears.

"You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice" he said, and I could hear his smile. I didn't know this guy, but I liked him.

"I've always been told I have the voice for radio" I joked.

He laughed again, and this time I joined in. It felt good.

Birdie was still chirping, staring out the windscreen with blank eyes. She was so lost that I wondered if she'd ever find her way back to sanity. If she'd ever be whole again.

"Where are you?" the stranger asked, straight to business.

"Right now" I started, leaning back against the upside down seat. "In a pick up"

"I mean…"

"I know" I interrupted. I didn't know if I could trust him. He could be some sadistic creep, looking to get his jollies by killing the lot of us in the most heinous way possible. If I gave him our location, I could doom us all.

"I'm not a psycho" he said as if reading my mind. "I'm a survivor, just like you, trying to go from one day to the next" There was another pause. "Please, you have to trust me"

I was a good judge of character and I prided myself on that. I listened to his voice, trying to read him from the rise and fall of his word. Trying to peer down the length of the connection and see his soul.

"Please"

"Harper, Massachusetts" I said softly. "There's six of us holed up in the Hilton Hotel"

"Six?" he asked, sounding incredulous. "There are six of you?"

"Yeah" I answered, feeling proud of us.

"Man, after all this time…"

In the background, I hear someone call out to him. At the sound of his name, I frown.

It couldn't be.

"Give us two days" he said. "We can be there in two days"

I opened my mouth to ask him the question to which the answer I feared, but was interrupted by Dean calling my name. I jumped, and the radio fell from the dashboard. It hit the roof heavily and broke into more pieces than Humpty Dumpty.

I stared at it, lost for words.

"Lu, are you OK?"

The door was wrenched open, almost torn from its hinges in his desperation to get to me. Adrenalin could do amazing things to people who weren't blessed with Super Human abilities.

"We're OK" I assured him as he pulled me from the cab, wrapping his arms so tight around me I struggled to breathe. "Dean, we're OK" I gasped.

"Goddamnit" he swore angrily, holding me at arms length and staring at the blood smeared across my forehead. "You are not stepping foot out of the Hotel again. Ever"

Despite everything I laughed.

"It's not funny" he fumed. "I don't know how you keep doing this. It's freaking unbelievable"

"Dean…" I tried to say as he turned away, pacing.

"You have got some seriously bad juju following you around, Princess"

"Dean…" But he wasn't listening.

"Gonna have to exorcise the freaking crap out of you"

"DEAN!" I shouted, finally getting his attention.

"WHAT?"

"There was a guy, on the radio" I started. "Another survivor. He says there're four of them and they can be here in two days"

"So?" He didn't look impressed, or like he cared at all.

He was really mad. But, I knew what I said next would change that entirely. What I said next would change everything.

"Dean, his name was Sam"


	12. They're Here

**A/N - Thank you so much to my loyal reviewers! I'm glad you liked the little twist. On a side note, I live in the Outback so we aren't quite as caught up on SPN as my American commrades... I haven't even seen season 4! Luckily though, I read all the recaps just to stay abreast! So, even though I obviously got the idea of this story from the summary of the episode The End, it's not going to follow it exactly. So, Sammy (if it is indeed the other handsome Winchester brother :-P) won't be possessed by Lucifer... But that's not to say the Big Man won't make a cameo later on. So, without further adieu, I present another chapter. More of a filler than anything else, but I hope you enjoy it!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

I had never met Dean's younger brother, Sam, but I knew enough about him that he felt as much like my family as Dean was. Sometimes, when the sun was highest in the sky and neither of us could sleep, Dean would tell me about his and Sammy's adventures in the Supernatural World. Stories that were so unbelievable and so fantastical that they made my heart stop and my breath catch with each word he spoke.

Hunting vampires, and tricksters, and wendigos… Being trapped in a small town Police Station as a hundred demons descended on them… The good and bad luck of a rabbit's foot that had almost been the end of them… Several run ins with two hunter-wannabes named Ed and Harry who were so clueless it was hard not to like them.

Hearing his wild tales, I would always wish that I could have known the two of them before the World was plunged into darkness and despair.

"No… I mean…" Dean ruffled his hair, pacing back and forth in front of me. The news had left him understandably anxious. "It couldn't be him… Not after all this time"

It was no secret that before the outbreak of the Virus Sam and Dean had been estranged for several months, having fallen out over Sam's addiction to Demon blood. He often told me how much he regretted it. How he wished he could have taken back every harsh word he had said to his brother, his only family.

We had looked for him. For endless, bloody, sleepless weeks, we had looked for him, fighting against rolling waves of the Infected, struggling to make it through from one day to the next. We fought our way across the country, cutting a bloody swathe through the masses as Dean desperately searched for his brother, leaving no stone unturned.

But we had found nothing, and Dean had accepted that it was more than likely that Sam was dead, or worse. That he was infected.

"Are you sure his name was Sam?" Dean asked, stopping for the moment.

"Baby, I'd love to keep telling you over and over what I heard" I started, pressing my hands to his chest. "But if we don't get a move on, we're not gonna find out who was on the other end of the line, OK?"

Alarmed, he spun around, almost as though expecting to find an Infected standing right behind him. He was anxious, and he was spooked. It was a dangerous combination.

"Get the loony" he said tersely, scanning the darkness around us. It was so thick we could barely make out the buildings lined along the street on either side of us. It would be almost impossible to see an Infected before they were upon us.

It was always darkest before the dawn. And with the way my luck was going lately, I did not want to spend another moment out in the open.

Crouching down by the ruined pick up, I peered inside the cab. Birdie was still pressed up against the window… Still chirping. She had started raking her nails down the length of her arms, hard enough to draw blood.

"Come on, sweetie, it's time to go" I said, reaching out for her.

"The hollow men are coming" she whispered.

"I know" I sighed. "And that's why we have to go. Now"

She looked at me. She really looked at me, and I saw the hint of recognition in her eyes. She was lucid. She was aware.

"Help me" she said, her voice trembling as tears streamed down her hollow cheeks. "Please help me"

"Oh, honey" I smiled, my heart breaking for this helpless young girl who was so much like my sister I couldn't bear it. "I am. I need you to climb out now, and we'll take you somewhere safe"

She nodded, still crying as she crawled across the roof and into my arms. She clung to me like a lifeline, trembling.

Dean herded us into the Impala, shooting worried glances over his shoulder. We were cutting it agonisingly close. We'd have to haul some serious ass if we wanted to make it back to the Hotel before dawn broke.

He gunned the engine and we tore down the street, leaving a trail of smoke burning on the asphalt in our wake.

"Boss, did you get lost?" Fletch's voice cut through the tense silence, crackling to life over the radio.

I reached for the mouthpiece, holding Birdie close to me. She was sobbing quietly and I wondered if maybe the haze of insanity had finally cleared.

"We're on our way" I answered. "Got a little held up"

"Damn, Princess" he laughed, but it sounded hollow. "Can't take you anywhere"

I looked across at Dean and smiled.

He didn't smile back.

"Listen" I said into the mouthpiece. "We might be pushing it. Get Manny in the birds nest, and open up the parking lot gate" I didn't know if it was the head trauma, but I was suddenly in control. I was taking charge. It shocked me. But I liked it.

Even Dean seemed a little taken aback. But there was a hint of a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

"We're gonna come in fast, so be prepared" I slipped the mouthpiece back into its holder, and wrapped my arm tighter around Birdie's shoulders.

Dean took a corner fast enough that we fishtailed widely, and I winced, thinking we'd lose control and I'd end up upside down again.

I did not want that. At all.

But he took it in his stride, correcting effortlessly and roaring down the street. The speedometer was reaching alarming levels. We were pushing a hundred and fifty miles an hour, but it wasn't enough.

We were still at least fifteen minutes out, and the sky was beginning to lighten.

We wouldn't make it back before the sun peaked over the horizon.

I glanced across at Dean, reaching out and slipping my hand into his as it clutched the steering wheel. It vibrated beneath our touch. He squeezed my fingers reassuringly.

Suddenly, Birdie pulled away from me, pressing herself so hard against the window that I winced. She tapped her fingers against the glass in a tune I didn't recognise.

"Hollow men" she whispered.

"Birdie, we're gonna be…" I started, but I stopped. Something was moving outside.

She turned her face to me, her eyes burning with such fear that it sent a shiver of cold dread up the length of my spine.

"They're here"


	13. Then Hell Reigned Over The City

**A/N - Many thanks to my loyal and lovely reviewers! You make my World go around! Is it just me, or does it feel like their night is taking forever? I for one with be glad when they get to finally fall into bed and sleep... Hell, I'm looking forward to falling into bed and sleeping as we speak! It's been a very long day, but on a brighter note, I finally found a copy of a movie that I've been looking for forever (To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar)!!!!! So, as always, please enjoy the next installment!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXO**

Dawn had yet to break, to spill light across the horizon, but the Infected spilled onto the streets like ants crawling from their nests. They emerged from their hovels, crawled from their graves. Hungry and vicious, they reclaimed the World after our too short reprieve.

"Dean…" I breathed, clutching his hand so hard my knuckles turned white.

"I know" he muttered through clenched teeth. "I know"

With a keening wail, Birdie climbed under the dashboard, wrapping herself around my legs.

Absent-mindedly, I stroked her tangled mess of hair. I didn't know if it was to comfort her, or myself.

"They're gonna eat your brain and gain your knowledge!" she wailed. "They're gonna eat your brain and gain your knowledge! Hollow men, headpiece filled with straw… This is the way the World ends… This is the way the World ends…"

"Can you shut her up!" Dean yelled angrily, wrenching the wheel to the left to avoid a pack of infected ghouls that had emerged from a comic book store. They stumbled over themselves as they gave chase, desperate to break open the Impala and get to the fleshy treats inside. Even over the roar of the engine, I could hear their rabid shrieks and howls.

"Birdie, it's OK" I said gently, untangling my fingers from Deans and reaching down to take her face in my hands. She looked up at me with frightened eyes, silvery tears tracing patterns down her dirty cheeks. "It's gonna be OK, I promise"

"Not with a bang" she said softly, her lips trembling. "But a whimper"

"Jesus Christ" Dean spat, and I didn't know if it was aimed at Birdie, or the growing pack of Infected that we're doggedly pursuing us. He never took his foot from the accelerator as we weaved through the crowds, screeching around tight corners. My heart thudded so painfully in my chest I thought it might explode.

I reached for the radio, my hands shaking.

"Fletch" I said, my voice hitching. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Fletch"

"Yeah, Princess?" I could hear the panic in his voice and wanted to cry.

"We've got company. A lot of company" I glanced in the rear view mirror and could see the pursuing pack in the distance.

"You know what, this has been a fucked up night"

"Yeah, tell me about it" I said with a choked laugh. "We're about five, maybe six minutes out. Make sure everyone's armed… They're gonna be coming up behind us… Fast"

"We got Manny up in the nest with his mother of a rifle. He's gonna keep you guys safe. The street is clear, no sign of the fuckers. Me and Orla are here at the gate, ready and waiting. You honk the shit out of that horn when you get close, you hear?"

"Yeah, Fletch, we got it" I said, looking across at Dean. He gave a slight nod. "Be seeing you soon"

I hung the mouthpiece up, and laid my hand on Dean's arm.

"We're gonna be OK" I said, not knowing if I even believed it. "We're gonna make it"

"I sure as Hell hope so" he sighed.

We were only blocks away from the hotel, and just like Fletch had said, the streets were hauntingly empty. It didn't make sense… Usually this part of town was crawling with the Infected, almost as if they were drawn here. But there was no sign of them. They were staying out later, they were coming out before dawn…

Nothing made sense anymore.

I turned around in the seat, peering into the darkness behind us.

I couldn't see them, but I knew they were still there, their feet pounding against the cracked and crumbling road, pushing themselves through the pain and exhaustion that they barely felt anymore.

I used to think that if they couldn't see us, or hear us, then they would forget about us. Out of sight, out of mind. But I had been wrong. I had been oh so wrong.

They never gave up. Rain, fire, blood and pain, they would not give up until they had hunted and destroyed the object of their desire. Or until they were put out of their worthless misery.

We had hundreds of Infected on our tails and I couldn't see how we were going to survive this. This was going to be the end for us.

"Dean?" I whispered, my heart aching. "We can't…"

"Don't say it" he said firmly, taking my hand in his and bringing it to his lips. "Don't you dare say it"

I bit back a sob, and for the first time in my life, I prayed. To God, to the Virgin Mary, to freaking Dolly Parton, a Goddess in her own right. Ruth would have been so proud of me.

_Please_. _Please_. _Please_. _Please_. _Please_. _Please_…

Suddenly, Dean let go of my hand and reached for the radio.

"Fletch" he practically yelled.

"Yeah, boss?"

"Contingency Plan"

"Contingency… Are you sure?" Fletch sounded sceptical, with a hint of fear.

"Of course I'm fucking sure. You think I'd be telling you if I wasn't?"

"OK, on it"

The Contingency Plan.

After we had set up our Haven in the Hotel, all of us restless with paranoia, we had loaded a dozen cars with enough explosives to level a building and lined them up like soldiers in front of the Hotel. They were Plan B for an event like this. When the Infected got close, we'd detonate, taking out as many of the freaks as we could. And with the amount of nitro glycerine we had packed the cars with, it would be enough. The rest we could pick off with guns.

We actually had a chance of making it through this. Of seeing another day.

Dean took my hand in his again.

"When we get home, you owe me a foot rub" he said with a smile.

"If we get home in one piece, I'll give you a whole goddamn body rub" I laughed.

"I like the sound of that"

The Hotel loomed before us, dark and ghoulish as the sun peaked over the horizon, spreading a dreary grey across the sky. I had never been so happy to see the Hotel before.

We passed the line of deadly vehicles, their rusted husks faded so much it was hard to distinguish what colour each of them used to be.

"You ready?" Dean asked, holding his hand over the car horn.

"As I'll ever be" I nodded, pressing Birdie closer to my legs, an attempt to protect her. She was still trembling, but she had fallen silent. I hoped that it was a good sign.

Dean pressed his hand down and a piercing blare pierced the fading shadows. I ducked my head against the noise.

The gate to the secure underground parking garage, fortified with sheets of metal and razor wire, was pulled open, and I could see the panicked faces of Fletch and Orla, a beacon in the darkness.

We were so close.

We hit the entrance speed bump, constructed for public safety, hard, catching a few inches of air before skidding into the parking garage with a billowing cloud of smoke and the stench of burning rubber.

"Honey, we're home" Dean called, leaping from the car, hefting his sawn-off shotgun in his hands.

Leaving Birdie in the car, curled up beneath the dashboard, I followed Dean, pulling my own guns from my belt.

It was show time.

The four of us pulled the gate closed, leaving enough of a gap for us to look out.

I couldn't see the Infected, but I could hear them. I could hear their feet on the road, their ragged gasps, their hungry, desperate groans.

They were close.

Fletch handed Dean the detonator without a word. It was so small I thought it might get lost in his hand. I couldn't imagine how this little device, no bigger than a cell phone, was going to save us.

A staccato of gunshots came from high above us, announcing the arrival of the Infected.

"Wait for it…" Dean muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "Wait for it…"

We saw them then, the pulsing crowd moving almost as one as they crested the hill. They were moving so fast I was afraid they'd reach us long before we could stop them.

"Wait for it…"

They reached the line of cars, barely noticing them as they scrambled over the hoods.

"Now" Dean whispered, and pressed the tiny button.

For one brief, heart-stopping moment, nothing happened.

Then Hell reigned over the city.


	14. Like A Biblical Plague

**A/N - Your reviews make me blush, thank you oh so very much for all of your kind words!!! I am eternally grateful to those of you who review regularly! I try harder to update more often just so I can hear your kind words :-P So, I hope you like this new chapter. It looks like they can finally get some much needed rest!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXO**

* * *

The explosion ignited the morning as though it were the Fourth of July, rocking the very ground we stood on and blowing out the windows of every building in a one mile radius. The sound was thunderous, so loud that I feared we would be rendered deaf for months.

We recoiled from the heat that singed the hair from our arms despite the distance between us and the blast, watching as char grilled body parts rained from the sky. For a full fifteen minutes severed arms and legs, and blown apart torsos fell from the sky like some kind of Biblical plague.

"Hot damn!" came Manny's voice as he trotted happily down the internal staircase. "Did you see that? We blew the shit out of those mother fuckers" He whooped with such childlike enthusiasm that I had to laugh. Boys always liked blowing things up.

We stepped out from the garage, assaulted with the stomach-churning stench of burning flesh. I just knew that it would hang around for days, that it would last an eternity.

The smoke cleared and I could make out several figures moving through the destruction. They seemed dazed, confused, like they couldn't remember why they were here.

Suddenly, they lifted their heads in our direction. They were drawn to our scent. With hungry snarls, they sprinted towards us, broken limbs and horrific burns forgotten in their desperation to wreak a bloody violence on us. They wanted to kill. They wanted to maim and torture. They wanted to tear us limb from limb, and would do so with a grisly song in their black hearts.

"It ain't over yet" Dean said solemnly, cocking his gun with a grim expression. He fired without hesitation, felling an Infected with shocking accuracy. It dropped to the ground mid stride, a flailing mass of arms and legs, taking another Infected with it.

I allowed myself a deep, steadying breath, and ran into the fray with guns blazing. My heart was pounding painfully, but I ignored it. This was no time to be afraid. I had to be brave, strong, a Warrior Princess.

I ran to where the fallen Infected lay, struggling to find it's feet with an obviously broken leg, and lifted my gun to its face.

For a brief moment, it stared at me with horribly blank eyes, blood shot and lifeless. Then, coming to its senses, it shrieked, clawing at me with bloody, filthy hands. It wanted to kill. It was infected with the fiery desire to kill me in the most vile, perverted way imaginable.

"Not today" I said muttered as I pulled the trigger, ending its unnatural existence. The bullet pierced its forehead and exploded from the back, sending a burst of blood and brain matter across the street.

I used to feel something when I killed them. I don't know if it was remorse, or compassion, or shame for what I had done. I used to shed a tear over every one put down. But now, after killing so many, after killing men, women and children by the hundreds, I felt nothing. Nothing but a hollow satisfaction that I had managed to end their pitiful excuse of a life.

They weren't people anymore. What I killed wasn't human… They didn't even come close.

They were gross abominations. Vicious, repulsive freaks that deserved every ounce of pain we could inflict upon them.

They deserved to die, and I was more than happy to kill them.

I was more than happy to kill them all.

Turning away from the lifeless corpse, I raised my gun expecting to find an Infected lurking behind me. But there was nothing.

We were done.

The boys had managed to dispose of the few wandering fiends with a smooth efficiency, while Orla worked on extinguishing the dying gasps of the fire that had mostly burned itself out. The streets were quiet, empty save for the smouldering remains of hundreds of Infected.

Dean looked up, tucking his gun into his belt as he surveyed the carnage around us. A triumphant grin spread across his chiselled features. He was so handsome I struggled to find my breath.

"Anyone else in the mood for a barbeque?" he laughed.

And just like that, the night from Hell was over.

We were feeling on top of the World as we made our way back to the safety of the garage, closing the door behind us with a loud, clunking bang. Another night was over, and not only had we survived, but we had found another survivor. And more were coming.

There was still hope for us. For the Human race.

I walked over to the Impala, ducking inside and gently coaxing Birdie out. She was smiling, and I couldn't help but notice how pretty she was under all that grime.

"The hollow men went bang" she laughed, dancing and twirling around me. "Fire, fire burning bright, the broken men are gone tonight"

"You think she's gonna be alright?" Orla asked, falling into step beside me as we headed for the side entrance to the lobby. It felt like a dozen lifetimes had gone by since we were last here.

I watching Birdie dancing around like a school girl, showing more signs of life than she had all night.

"She's gonna be perfectly fine" I smiled.

Ruth was waiting for us in the lobby, pacing frantic worry circles around the sparse lobby furniture. Hearing us, she looked up, her eyes fraught with fear and worry.

"Oh, thank the Lord" she cried, racing over to us and taking us into her arms. She held us so tight I worried we might break a rib or two. She pulled back and studied our faces, her features going hard when saw the bruises spread across my face. "Oh, child…"

"Ruthie!" Manny cheered, lifting her and spinning her around the lobby. "You have no idea how happy I am to see your pretty mug.

"Manfred" she laughed, the only one of us game enough to call him by his true name. He set her down, kissing her on the cheek and making her blush.

"Princess, I hear you totalled the _Sunflower_" Manny grinned, ruffling my curls. "Can't trust you with nothing, can we?"

"I'm sorry, Manny" I smiled sheepishly. "I know how fond you were of it"

"Hell, no" he grinned. "I'm sure as shit glad you got rid of it. Now that boy of your might let us get a real car. I owe you big time"

"Let's just call it even" I laughed.

I watched as Ruth went to Birdie, taking the young girls hands in her own.

"Come, child" she said softly. "Let's get you cleaned up"

"I walked in the valley of the shadow of death" Birdie whispered.

"Yes, Little One. I know" She led Birdie toward the stairwell, looking over her shoulder at us. "You all go and get some rest, you hear"

Not a one of us could summon the energy to argue, we were far beyond the point of exhaustion. There was a lot of work to do, bringing in the supplies, but for the moment, no one cared.

Dean walked over to me and slipped his arm around my waist. We started for the stairs but I stopped, turning to face the others.

With all the excitement, I had almost forgotten.

"There are others" I said, smiling. "There are others out there and they're coming. We're not alone anymore"

"Well, I'll be damned" Manny breathed, leaning against the reception desk. "More people have made it through this…"

"Who are they?" Orla asked, her face glowing with excitement.

I glanced up at Dean, but he shook his head slightly. He didn't want them knowing that one of them might be his brother. He didn't want to get his hopes up.

"I don't know" I shrugged, leaning into Dean, taking comfort in his warmth. "I don't know, but we'll find out soon"

This news seemed to perk everyone up.

We had hope now. The Beatles were wrong. You didn't need money or love…

All you needed was hope.

"C'mon" Dean said softly, leading me to the stairwell. "I believe you owe me a full body rub"

I looked up and smiled at him, feeling my body flush with desire.

I could deny him nothing.


	15. Forever and Always

**A/N - To my constant reviewers, the Fantastic 5, words cannot express my gratitude. I am so very glad you like my work, it inspires me to keep writing. This chapter is directly from the dream I had that inspired me to start this story. I have been waiting to write it for so very long! It's a great relief to finally get it out. I hope you enjoy it, it's pure, unadulerated fluff :-P**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOX**

* * *

The day had dawned magnificently, casting a luminous light across the barren remains of the city. Shadows played between the buildings, dancing lazily as the World came to life.

Standing at the window of our room, the luxurious Honeymoon Suite, I peeked through the heavy drapes that had plunged the room into complete darkness, gazing down at the streets below.

A dozen or so Infected had wandered onto the street, feasting on the spoils of our destruction.

Watching them gnaw on blackened flesh and suck marrow from the bones, I was reminded of George A. Romero's _Night Of The Living Dead_. I shuddered, repulsed at the sight of these things that used to be people devouring human flesh.

"Is it just me" Dean started, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. "Or has this night lasted forever?"

I let the drapes fall back into place, leaning against his shoulder. It had been an excruciatingly long night, and I couldn't be happier that it had finally come to an end.

"It has" I said, turning in his arms to face him. "But it's over now" I kissed him, reaching for his zipper. Right now, I had only one thing on my mind.

"Wait" he said against my lips, pulling away despite my protests. "I… ah… I have something for you" He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out two rings. Both were identical sterling silver bands, one slightly larger than the other, each with a single skull etched into the surface. They should have been garish, tacky and vulgar, but they weren't. They were perfect. "These were the least lame ones I could find… And I know it's not legal…"

"Oh, Dean" I breathed, my heart racing.

"I haven't been a saint" he started, falling to bended knee before me like a true Prince Charming. "Before I met you… Before I fell in love with you, I was… I was…" He cleared his throat, looking so adorably awkward and nervous that it broke my heart. "Let's face it, I was a man whore"

I laughed, fighting back a wave of tears that threatened to overwhelm me. I wondered if there had ever been another proposal that sed the words _man whore_.

"I never thought I'd meet the one girl that I'd wanna spend the rest of my life with" His voice cracked with emotion. "But I did… Not exactly under the best of circumstances, but I did. And you are the one thing in this fucked up World that makes life worth living. I almost lost you twice tonight and it nearly killed me. I can't imagine my life without you, Lu, and I don't ever want to know what it's like. So, would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

Lost for words, I could only nod, tears spilling down my cheeks. I couldn't even think of how to express how happy I was feeling at that moment. The World had gone to shit around us, and this was the happiest moment of my entire life.

"Is that a yes?"

"Of course it is" I cried, hauling him to his feet and kissing him with everything I had. I kissed him until there was no air left in my lungs.

Laughing, he lifted me off my feet and spun me theatrically around the room.

"All right then" he grinned, setting me down. He took my hand in his and went to slip the smaller of the rings onto my finger.

"No, not yet" I said, pulling my hand away. Leaving him with a bewildered look on his face, I walked over to the exquisite mahogany desk in the corner of the room, currently covered with countless maps and books. I pushed everything aside and found a yellow legal pad and a pen.

"What are you doing" Dean groaned, sitting down on the edge of our four-poster bed.

"We need to come up with a list of everything we wanna promise each other" I explained, sitting down next to him and tucking my legs beneath me. "Our marriage licence, I guess"

Across the top of the paper, in large, swirling letters, I wrote:

**DEAN AND LULU PROMISE TO:**

"You mean, like, 'to love, honour and obey'?" he frowned, laying down with his hands behind his head. His tshirt rode up, revealing several inches of smooth, tanned flesh. It was all I could do not to ravage him.

"That's a little archaic, don't you think?" I frowned, drawing a series of little hearts around our names.

"How about… 'to love, honour, and worship Dean'. I like the sound of that" he joked playfully.

"I think 'to love, honour and not hog the blankets' is more fitting"

"I do not hog the blankets" he grumbled.

Laughing, I wrote it along the first line.

"Alright then, in that case, 'never threaten to withhold the loving, cause that's just mean'?"

"Done" I agreed writing it down.

We fired suggestions back and forth for almost a half hour, until we had a healthy list of promises. Some were serious and heartfelt, others were too funny to not include.

We promised to:

**- Love, honour and not hog the blankets**

**- Never threaten to withhold the loving, 'cause that's just mean**

**- Never go to bed angry, or with cold feet**

**- Always fall asleep together, and never wake up alone, even though sometimes we can't stand each other**

**- Live every day like it's our last, because it could be**

**- Play the role of naughty nurse if the other gets hurt**

**- Love each other, forever and always**

**- Never fart in bed**

**- Never lie, no matter how much the truth may hurt**

**- Say 'I Love You' at least once a day**

**- Make sure the loving is always good, no matter how tired we are**

**- Always admit when we're wrong**

**- Give lots of foot rubs**

**- Always trust each other**

**- Forgive any mean and hurtful words we may say when we are angry or upset**

**- Start each day with a kiss**

**- Listen to each other**

I read the list out to Dean for his approval.

"Sounds good to me" he smiled.

"Wait" I said, adding one more.

**- Never give up hope**

"Perfect" I said softly, adding two small hearts at the bottom. "You sign here" I instructed, handing the list to him. He obliged, with a playful flourish. I signed, as well, using the name _Lulu May Winchester_. This may not be legal and binding, but as far as I was concerned, we were married. And it was for life.

"There" I crawled across the bed and pinned the list to the wall above the ornate headboard, where it would look over us as we slept. A constant reminder to follow every word we had promised. "Now, it's official. From this moment on, we're husband and wife, cowboy"

We exchanged rings, grinning like excited school kids. They fit perfectly, as though they had been made for us.

"So, Mrs Winchester" Dean grinned, looping his fingers in my belt and pulling me closer. "What now?'

"Now, Mr Winchester" I smiled, moving to straddle his waist. "Is the part where you kiss the bride"

And, by God, he did.


	16. Party

**A/N - Goddess bless all my reviewers, I look forward to hearing from all of you with every chapter published!! I'm so very happy you liked the last installment, I figured Dean and Lu deserved a little happiness! So, I hope you like the next chapter, and that it lives up to your expectations!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXO**

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when I woke, stretching against the bone deep ache that had settled into my muscles while I slept. I was tired, and sore beyond belief, but I had never been happier. The 'wedding night' had been bliss, our humble marriage consummated several times.

Moaning softly, I shifted beneath the blankets to face Dean. He slept soundly with an arm flung across his face, his jaw line dark with a five o'clock shadow that only added to his rugged appeal. I traced my fingers over the Protection symbol tattooed on his chest, a pentagram encircled within a ring of flames. He said that Sam had an identical tattoo on his chest, a safeguard against demon possession. After we'd settled into the hotel, Dean had given the rest of us amulets sporting the same symbol, instructing us to wear them at all times. In six months, I hadn't taken it off once, too terrified of the consequences.

Noticing the way my wedding band glinted in the dim light of the room, I smiled to myself. I used to spend countless hours imagining the Perfect Wedding. A flowing white dress, an adorable flower girl scattering pink rose petals, walking down the aisle to an orchestra playing Unchained Melody… I had thought of every last, extravagant detail. But this, the simple rings and list of promises, was more perfect than anything I could have possibly imagined. I didn't need a horribly expensive dress, or a vast display of gaudy flowers… I only needed Dean.

"Morning" he murmured sleepily, woken by my touch.

"Morning" I smiled, leaning in to press my lips to his. He 'mmm-ed' his appreciation.

"What time is it?"

"Maybe five, or half five. Sun's still out" I answered, laying my head on his chest, my fingers playing across his stomach. "We don't have to get up for another hour or so"

"I don't know about you, Princess" he grinned, flipping me over and pinning me gently to the bed. "But I ain't getting up 'til the stars are twinkling in the sky"

"Oh, really?" I smiled playfully, excited at the primal glint in his eyes. I would definantly like to consummate our union at least one more time before we started the day.

"This is our honeymoon, baby" he said huskily, kissing a fiery pattern down my neck. "And I intend to make it last as long as I can"

And, by God, he did.

* * *

The moon had risen, fat and high in the inky blue expanse of night by the time we emerged from beneath the blankets, completely spent but thoroughly satisfied. We washed quickly under the icy spray of our shower, which did nothing for my aching body, and dressed in clean clothes. I pulled on a pair of pale Daisy Dukes and a black tank top, tying my hair back in a single braid.

My chest and arms were mottled with so many bruises that I looked like a macabre Connect-The-Dots. It was so heart breakingly tragic that I could only laugh.

We made our way downstairs, where the others had already begun the arduous task of unloading the Lorries. Orla and Ruth, the only ones inside as we stepped into the lobby hand-in-hand, looked up with unimpressed expressions on their faces.

"What?" Dean asked, reaching for a slice of Ruth's home made bread from the counter and taking a large bite. He walked across to the plush blue sofa and sat down, seemingly unconcerned. I moved to sit beside him.

"Don't mind us" Orla snapped, dropping a large bag of rice on the floor, folding her arms angrily across her chest. "We're more than happy to do all the goddamn work while you two bump uglies"

"Sorry" Dean shrugged. "We were celebrating"

"Celebrating what?" Orla was beyond pissed. But it was more amusing than frightening. "That you were able to get it up for another night? Yeah, Dean, I expect that's something worth celebrating"

I bit my lip to keep from laughing out loud.

"No, we kinda got hitched last night" he said nonchalantly, handing me the rest of his bread. He made a show of dusting his hands and looking around the lobby. "Looks like the lot of you have done good, though"

"No! Way!" Orla squealed, her anger at us forgotten in an instant. She threw herself on the sofa beside us, reaching for my hand to inspect the ring. "No diamond? Hmmm… Well, it ain't really anything special, but it kinda suits you"

"Thanks" I laughed, Dean rolling his eyes.

"Oh, my" Ruth breathed, clutching her hands to her chest. "With all this death and darkness around us, I am so happy that the two of you were able to find some happiness"

"Y'all know what this means, don't you?" Orla exclaimed, standing up with her hands on her hips.

"A reprieve from physical labour?" Dean asked.

"Hell, no" she grinned. "This calls for a party"

We made short work of unloading the trucks, simply storing the trolleys in the hotel storeroom to be unpacked later, and within two hours, Orla's party was in full swing. Fletch had brought down his portable stereo and filled the lobby with the soulful tunes of Stevie Wonder. And Manny happily revealed two large bottles of whisky he had managed to liberate from the Wal-Mart store.

"Here's to Dean and Lulu" Ruth toasted, clutching Birdie close to her side. After a good, solid sleep, the young girl was looking much livelier. "May they be blessed with all the happiness in the World"

We all downed our drinks in a single gulp, Birdie enjoying a glass of ginger ale.

"So when can we expect the pitter-patter of little hunters?" Manny asked, pouring another round without hesitation. He was determined to have a good night.

Hell, we all were.

Poor Dean almost choked on his whisky, caught off guard by Mannys abrupt question.

"We haven't talked about kids" I laughed, patting Dean on the back. His reaction was priceless. It was true, though. Bringing a child into this new World was a frightening thought. It wasn't a decision to be taken lightly. "And I think it's a little too soon"

"Besides" Orla started, tipping her glass at Birdie. "We've all got this little one to worry about"

Realising that we were talking about her, Birdie brightened visibly, a broad grin stretching across her pretty face. Ruth had taken the girl under her wing, washing the blood and grime from her body, and trimming her matted hair into an adorable pixie cut. The difference between when we first found her, and now, was tremendous. She was no longer babbling, or chirping. She could actually string full, lucid sentences together. Although they were sometimes obscure and bizarre.

"Hush-a-bye baby" she giggled. "All the pretty ponies are coming out to play"

"Piece of cake" Dean said sarcastically, having recovered. "She's a freaking nutcase"

"Leave her alone" I smiled, hitting his arm. "She's doing a hell of a lot better than she was before"

"Yeah, Short Bus" she grinned, poking her tongue out at him.

Laughing, I was happy to see that she could hold her own. She wasn't completely sane, but she was getting there. And I would do anything to help her get there in one piece.

We drank long into the night, allowing ourselves the luxury of forgetting, just for a moment, that we were living through the apocalypse. Having demolished both bottles of whisky, we were all pleasantly tipsy.

I was sitting on the sofa, cuddled up to Dean, to my husband, while Orla taught Birdie the dance to Beyonce's _Single Ladies_, and Fletch and Manny played a game of poker, betting M&M's. Ruth had retired to bed an hour earlier.

It had been a good night.

"Do you wanna have kids?" Dean asked, clearing his throat.

"Maybe one day" I said softly, tracing my fingers over the palm of his hand, trying to read our future in the swirls and lines. "It's not exactly safe right now, but one day it might be. One day we might be able to have a house with a white picket fence, two-point-five kids, and a Golden Retriever named Buddy. But for now, I'm happy with just having you"

Smiling, he pressed his lips to my forehead.

Suddenly, the radio on the reception counter came to life with a piercing burst of static.

"Son of a…" Orla spat, turning the stereo off.

We all turned to the radio.

"Hello?" a voice came through the static. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

Beside me, Dean stiffened. Standing, he walked over to the radio and picked up the mouthpiece. I thought I could see his hand trembling slightly, but I knew it was impossible. Dean Winchester was unflappable.

"Sammy?" he said into the mouthpiece, and my heart stopped.

For the longest moment, there was silence. Then...

"Dean?"


	17. My Brother

**A/N - Thank you so much for all of your kind reviews, and to everyone who has alerted and favourited (I speak good English XD) this story! It makes me oh-so-very happy! Well, I finally got around to finishing this chapter. It's only short, but I've been very exhausted, and not even my addiction to Red Bull has helped! I think I'm low on Iron or Protien or something coz I've been forgetting my vitamins like the naughty girl I am! Any way, while I go and pop some pills (good pills mind you) I hope you like the next installment. **

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOX**

* * *

Time seemed to stop.

No one spoke. No one moved… I don't think anyone even breathed until Dean spoke after an agonisingly long silence. We all knew about Sam, we all knew the stories, the history.

We all knew what he meant to Dean.

"Sammy? Is it really you?" Dean asked, his voice wavering.

"It's me" came Sam's reply. Even through the radio I could hear the tears in his voice.

It had been almost a year since the brothers had spoken and the emotion between them was intense. I could feel it filling the lobby like a rolling wave.

"You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice" Dean said, smiling through the tears that welled in his eyes. "God, I thought…After all this time, I thought…"

"Me, too" Sam said, clearing his throat. "Listen, Dean, I…Everything I said…"

"Sammy, don't start with the chick flick moment, OK. You just focus on getting your ass here in one piece" Dean laughed. "How close are you?"

"Ah… We just got in to Harper" Sam answered. "Coming up on a post office, and what looks like a cheesy fifties diner, _The Cherry Pie_"

"You're about five minutes out. We're down the end of the main street, big ass Hilton building, can't miss us"

"Dean, there was a girl. I was speaking with her last night, but the line went dead… I'm kinda worried about her"

Dean looked across at me, a broad grin stretched across his face.

"That would be my wife, Sammy. And the old ball and chain is perfectly fine"

I poked my tongue out at him, willing to let the playful jibe slide given the circumstance.

"Wife?" Sam exclaimed, his voice choked with laughter. The concept of Dean being married, albeit not legally, was obviously hilarious. I didn't know whether to laugh, or be offended, but quickly realised I was too happy to care. "You got hitched? You?"

"Is it really so hard to believe?"

"Yeah, kinda"

"Times are a-changing', Sammy" he laughed. "Are you alone?"

"Yeah. The others are back at the hospital where we've set up camp. I, uh… I thought I was coming on a rescue mission, but I guess your doing pretty well for yourselves"

"Typical Sammy" Dean teased. "Always playing the part of the White Knight. Ain't no damsels need saving. Unless you're still a pansy and we gotta come out there and save your ass!"

"Jerk!"

"Bitch!"

They had fallen back into their brotherly banter with an effortless ease.

"Were they always like this?" Orla asked, moving to sit beside me. Birdie dropped to the floor at her feet. She didn't take her eyes from Dean, watching him carefully, almost warily.

"From what I've heard, this seems pretty normal" I smiled.

"Dean, I see the hotel" Sam said excitedly. "We're coming up on it now"

"Pull up to the parking garage, Sammy. I'll, uh… I'll be seeing you real soon" He cleared his throat, scratching his fingers along his unshaven jaw nervously. "Man, I never thought I'd be saying that"

"See you soon, Dean" Sam said softly.

Dean placed the radio mouthpiece on the counter, turning to look at us.

"That's my brother" he said softly, almost disbelieving. "My brother"

"Oh, Dean" I breathed, going to him and flinging my arms around him. He buried his face in my neck, taking a deep, steadying breath.

"Lu, it's Sammy" he whispered. "It's really him"

"I know, baby" I smiled. "Now you'd better get your ass down there and meet him"

He pulled back, looking unsure of himself.

"What if he… I said some horrible things to him. I abandoned him when he needed me the most… "

"Dean, he's your brother" I assured him, holding his face in my hands. "He loves you. And all this time hasn't changed that"

He nodded.

"Wanna meet my brother?" he asked with a crooked smile.

"Like you wouldn't believe"

He took my hand in his and together we headed out to the underground garage. The others decided to stay inside, wanting to give Dean a moment with his brother.

We walked across to the fortified gate and pulled it open. A set of headlights, belonging to a monstrous white Hummer, burned bright in the darkness. Stepping aside, Dean waved him in. The windows were to dark to see through. I was anxious to see him. To meet him. The tales Dean had told me made him sound mythical, almost God-like.

And I was actually nervous.

He pulled up behind the Impala, cutting the rumbling engine. For a moment nothing happened.

Beside me, I felt Dean tense, so nervous I could practically taste it in the stale air of the garage. I reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze.

Then, the door opened, and a tall, broad figure stepped out. His shaggy brown hair, in desperate need of a trim, fell across his soulful brown eyes, but did nothing to obscure his boyishly handsome features. Sam Winchester, the one and only.

"Dean…" he breathed, a sob hitching his voice.

"Sammy" Dean said, a single tear tracing down his cheek. "You look good"

And with that, the brothers embraced.


	18. HushABye Baby

**A/N - Bless the lot of ya for your amazingly kind words. I'm glad you liked it... I thought it was a little short and shallow, but I was happy to get the brothers back together! This one is a bit of a background filler, but I needed it to set up the next chapter, so I hope you like it! I might not be able to update for a few days coz we're throwing a massive Halloween party (I'm going as an Inglorious Basterd! How fun!!!) at our place, and I have a lot of decorating to do!!! I'm gonna try my hardest to update tomorrow, but please forgive me if I don't have the time! As always, enjoy!**

**Blesses Be XOXOXOXOXOX**

* * *

The day had dawned and the Infected emerged, but Sam, Dean and I had no notion of going to bed anytime soon. The others retired long before the sun had risen, too tired from recent activities to keep their eyes open any longer. We were too happy, too excited, too desperate to hear Sam's story of survival to sleep.

"I was in Emdur, Ohio when it hit" Sam said, sipping at the lukewarm coffee I had brewed with powdered milk. Despite the harsh taste, something close to pure gasoline, he didn't grimace or complain like the others would have. I loved him for that. "After…" He leaned forward in his seat, elbows on knees, nervously tapping his fingers together. "After everything with Lilith and Ruby, I just wanted a normal life. So, I got clean. I stopped hunting, settled down in Emdur, and got a job"

"A job?" Dean smiled. "An honest to God, nine to five, wages and benefits job?"

"Yeah" Sam nodded, flashing a crooked grin that added to his boyish charms. "Well, not so much with the benefits, but the money was good. After all those years of hunting, it felt good to do something so normal, y'know. Anyway, I, uh… I met a great girl, Addie, and just… I lived the life you always wanted me to"

Beside me, Dean couldn't sit still. He kept shifting and fidgeting, tapping the tune to a _Metallica_ song on my leg, and playing with the hem of his shirt. They were both nervous. The fight between them had been forgotten the instant they embraced, but it could take a while for the rift between them to heal completely.

"The virus hit hard" Sam continued, pushing his fingers through his long locks. "It moved faster than I could have imagined, and Emdur was gone overnight. Addie and I got out of there, we tried to outrun it, but… Well, you know how quickly it took hold"

"Rivergrove didn't even scratch the surface" Dean said softly, playing with his wedding band.

"We met up with other survivors in Pennsylvania, and stayed in a roadside motel for a few weeks. We did well, we did real well until the Croats…"

"Croats?" I frowned, sitting on the sofa with my legs crossed. I held a large cup of warm rice milk in my hands, struggling to force my way through it. I missed electricity more than I ever thought I would.

"It's what the others called the Infected. Y'know… The Croatoan virus, Croats…" he answered, looking at me with eyes so deep they could render me lost for hours. "Anyway, they got in and slaughtered everyone. In the end, it was me and Addie, Father Michael, and a young kid named Zeek. God, we barely made it out of there" He stared at his hands, almost as though he could still see the blood that stained them. I wondered if he'd killed his friends like we had. If he'd seen the light in their eyes dim as they died, the way I had with the five friends we'd had to put down. "We hit the road again, and ended up in New Jersey, taking refuge in a small hospital. Since then, it's just been the four of us. Zeek is a whiz when it comes to technology and he's been working on the radio, trying to get a stronger signal. We wanted to help others, to find them and offer them a safe haven. I mean, there had to be others out there. We couldn't be the only ones lucky enough to make it through the end of the World, right?" He laughed harshly. "And that's when I found Lulu. I swear to God I thought you were an Angel, or something"

"I still could be" I smiled playfully.

"So, uh… How'd you end up here?"

I glanced across at Dean, remembering the first time I had laid eyes on him. He had come into the diner where I'd worked, looking for information about a recent spate of missing girls. He was so cocky, so brash as he'd shamelessly hit on me that I could barely stand him. It wasn't until he had risked his life for mine that I'd truly seen him for what he was; a beautiful, brave man with a kind soul. A Hero.

"I was in Preen County on a case" Dean started, slinging his arm around my shoulders. "I met the prettiest girl just as the World went to Hell"

I smiled up at him, loving the way his green eyes sparkled in the candle light.

"He saved my life" I said softly. "My Hero"

Grinning, he kissed me softly, the rasp of his unshaven jaw tickling my face in the cutest way possible. Clean-shaven, he was handsome. Rocking a five o'clock shadow, he was ruggedly gorgeous. It was all I could do to keep my hands off him.

"You guys are kinda disgusting" Sam laughed, sipping his coffee. Finally giving up, he set it down on the table between us.

"Bite me" Dean smiled, and with that, things seemed much better between them.

Suddenly, Birdie came barrelling into the lobby, wearing one of Manny's oversized _Bon Jovi _t-shirts, her short hair tussled from sleep. Her eyes were wild as she sprinted barefoot across the tiled floor, silvery tears streaking down her face.

"Hush-a-bye baby, the bough is breaking" she cried, throwing herself into my arms. "The pretty girl is falling down. She's falling down and the World comes tumbling after…"

"Sweetie, it's OK" I soothed gently, holding her close. She was trembling. "It was just a bad dream"

"No, no, no, no" she screamed, pulling away and turning to stare intently at Sam. "They're coming. Black eyes and black hearts. Their souls have died, and the angels cry. Addie, Addie, turn around, soon your baby will be found"

"Addie" Sam whispered, standing up so quickly he knocked over his mug. It shattered against the while tiles of the lobby floor, spilling dark brown liquid at his feet. It reminded me of blood.

"Sam?" Dean frowned, looking from his brother to Birdie, confused. "What's wrong with Addie?"

Sam pushed his hands forcibly through his hair, a dark fear clouding his features. He looked spooked.

"Dean, she's eight months pregnant"


	19. A New Adventure

**A/N - Thank you for being so patient, and for your darling reviews! :-P Halloween was wicked, I'm still recovering! I hope all of you had an awesome Halloween too, and that you got a crap load of candy... If not, we still have a ton of the stuff ehre and I'd be happy to send it to you! Hehehe! Hopefully you like the next installment, not a lot of action, but it's coming, and when it does it will be HUGE!!! **

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOXO**

* * *

For the longest moment, the lobby was silent. Not even Birdie, with tears streaking down her face, made a sound.

"You're gonna be a Dad?" Dean said incredulously, his brow furrowed.

"Yeah" Sam nodded, nervously chewing on his bottom lip. "It happened before all of this, and we didn't find out until a couple of months ago. We, uh… We weren't expecting it" He glanced across at the radio anxiously. He wanted to speak with Addie; he wanted to know she was safe. He loved her.

"The bough is breaking" Birdie sobbed. She buried her face against me, humming the tune to _Hush, Little Baby_ as I spoke soothing words, trying to calm her down. She was shaking like a leaf.

"What do you think she means?" I asked. "Black eyes and black hearts?"

"Black eyes makes me think of demons" he said, his face etched with fear and worry. "I… God, I shouldn't have left her behind"

"How do we even know what she said is true?" Dean frowned, looking down at Birdie. "She's been speaking a whole bunch of crap since we found her"

"She knew Addie's name, Dean" Sam said softly. "She knew she was pregnant. It wouldn't the first time someone said something prophetic"

The shared a knowing look.

"We have to get her" I said. "We have to get all of them and bring them back here. We have plenty of room, like over a hundred rooms, and it'll probably be a lot more comfortable than the hospital. The beds here are heavenly"

"I definantly wouldn't mind sleeping in a proper bed again" he smiled. "And Addie will adore you for it. The hospital beds are wreaking havoc on her back"

"We'd love to have you all here" Dean nodded. "All these months I… I thought you were dead. And now, well, I don't wanna lose you again"

"That was kinda cheesy, man" Sam teased.

"Shut up" Dean spat, but he was smiling.

"Call them" I said, nodding toward the radio. "She's probably worried sick about you"

Nodding, he walked across to the counter and flicked the dial to his frequency. Static echoed through the lobby and Birdie whimpered.

"Baby boy is crying" she whispered, loud enough for only me to hear. "The man of God is lying; the mother will be dying… Baby boy is crying"

"Hon, what are you saying?" I asked, holding her face in my hands. Her wide, watery eyes broke my heart. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry" she cried. "I'm sorry" She dropped her head on my lap, watching Sam as he spoke into the mouthpiece.

"Zeek? Are you there?"

"Sam, is that you?" an adolescent voice replied. "Damn, I was starting to get worried about you, dude. You don't call, you don't write…"

"I'm fine, Zeek. Look…" Sam tried, looking a little frustrated.

"Did you find the chick? Is she hot? Does she look anything like Rebecca Romajin, 'cause that would be freaking sweet, dude"

"I found her, she's perfectly fine" He turned to me and smiled, lighting up his handsome features. "Actually, she's married to my brother... Dean's alive"

"WHOA! No way!" Zeek exclaimed excitedly. "Dude, you must feel like Skywalker when he found out that Leia was his sister. Total mind trip, man"

"Zeek" Sam said impatiently. "Where's Addie?"

"She's gone for a lie down. That spawn of yours is giving her a hard time, dude"

"I need you all to pack together everything you can and load it into the car. Do it now. We've all coming here to Harper and moving into the Hotel"

"Like, real beds, and our own showers, and room service? Awesome, dude"

"Zeek, just tell the others, please" Sam said rolling his eyes. "We're heading your way now. We should be there before dusk"

"Ten-four, boss"

Sam set the mouthpiece down, running his fingers through his hair as he turned to look at us. He looked anxious. He wanted to leave now. He wanted to get back to Addie.

"How exactly did you get here so fast?" Dean asked, standing and walking across to the manager's office, where we kept our weapons. "I thought you said you'd take two days"

""Roads were clear" Sam answered with a shrug. "All the way through. I take it that's your handy work?"

"We only did down to Langley Falls" Dean said, looking a little unsettled. "Someone else has cleared the rest"

"There are others out there" I said, looking excitedly from Dean to Sam. "There are other survivors and we have to find them. We have to bring them back here"

"First, we have to get Sammy's girl safe" Dean said, clapping his brother on the back. "If what Little Miss Crazy said is in anyway true, we could be looking at a rough ride ahead"

"You think maybe she's a psychic?" I asked, stroking my fingers through Birdie's soft hair. She had quietened down, wetting my lap with her silent tears.

"It's not like we haven't seen it before" Dean said, looking pointedly at Sam. "Was a time when Sammy here had similar… Well, I guess you'd call them gifts"

For a moment, they looked uncomfortable, old wounds re-opened, bad memories resurfaced.

Sam cleared his throat, opening and closing his mouth as he tried to speak, tried to say something that would ease the sudden tension between the brothers.

"Sorry" Dean apologised. "I didn't mean to… I shouldn't have…"

"Dean, it's OK" Sam smiled. "We're OK"

Leaving the boys to load our weapons into the car, I took Birdie back upstairs to Ruth's room. She had stopped crying, but continued to hum the lullaby, her eyes staring into the shadows. I was worried that she was losing it completely.

Helping her into bed, I pulled the covers up to her chin.

"We're going to get Addie now" I said softly, wiping tears from her cheek. "We're going to get Sam's friends and bring them back here to live with us"

"She's not safe" she whispered. "None of them are safe"

"We're going to make them all safe, I promise" I said, pushing her short fringe from her face. "Birdie, did you… Can you see anything else?"

"Lights in the darkness" she said, her lips trembling. "Lights that shine and burn. Lights that bring pain and fear. Don't follow the lights. Please" Fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. "Don't get lost. Don't get lost"

"We won't" I assured her, finding myself trusting every word she breathed. "Sweetie, we're gonna come back, OK"

I kissed her goodnight and turned to leave. Ruth stood in the doorway.

"Child, where are you going?" she asked.

"Sam's friends are possibly in trouble, and his girlfriend's pregnant. We're heading down to New Jersey to bring them back here" I grinned happily. "Ruthie, can you believe it? More survivors"

"I'll get some rooms ready" she smiled. "Sounds like I'm going to have a lot more mouths to feed"

I headed back downstairs to the lobby. Dean was showing Sam his recently acquired set of hunting knives.

"Are we going to be safe driving during the day?" I asked, slipping a small handgun into my belt.

"I don't want to wait" Sam said. "The longer we wait, the more we put her… Put them at risk"

"Besides" Dean said with a crooked grin. "We probably roasted more than enough of them to get a clear passage. It's going to be OK, Princess"

I felt my stomach churn with fear. We hadn't been out during the day since the virus hit. I'd seen my friend's torn limb from limb by vicious creatures, I'd seen things that still haunted me to this day… I had almost died. And now we were heading out into the harsh light of day where they owned the streets.

Suddenly, I couldn't stop trembling.

Dean walked over to me, his features dark with concern.

"You can stay" he said softly, taking my hand in his. "Hell, I'd feel a lot better about this if you stayed here. After everything that's just happened, I'm worried about having you out there"

"No way, Cowboy" I said, forcing myself to stop shaking, to be brave. "There's no way you're leaving me behind. Who else is going to watch your back?"

"My Warrior Princess" he smiled, leaning in to kiss me. I kissed him back, gaining strength from his touch… From his lips…

"Dean?" Sam called.

Dean held his finger up to silence him, allowing us a few more moments of loving.

Sam cleared his throat pointedly.

"Dude, seriously" Dean groaned, turning to glare at his brother.

We made our way out to the garage. Outside, the World was ominously quiet.

"I'll get the gate" Dean said, loading his sawn-off and cocking it. He looked from me to Sam, nodding his head slightly.

"Be careful" I called climbing into the back seat, my heart pounding like mad.

He opened the gate, flooding the garage with daylight that burned my eyes. Sam eased the car outside, scanning the streets for the infected. It was empty. I didn't know if that was a good sign or not.

Dean closed the gate quickly and ran across to the car, climbing into the passenger seat. He winced at the sound of soothing, classical music that filtered from the speakers.

"Sammy, what the Hell is this music? Party mix for the Geek?" Dean said, just as a lone Infected, a Croat, stumbled around the corner. It saw us and let out an inhuman scream.

"Don't forget, Dean" Sam grinned, gunning the engine and aiming the car for the Croat. We hit it hard, sending it flying over the car in a tangle of bloody limbs. It landed in a crumpled heap on the street behind us, its broken arms twitching as it tried to stand. "Driver picks the music, and shotgun shuts his cake hole"

And with that, a new adventure began.


	20. Pie Princess of Preen County

**A/N - Thanks for the reviews guys, I love reading your encouraging words! I am officially back from hiatus and plan to update every day if I can. We're getting to a pretty pivotal moment in the story, so I'm heaps excited and just want to keep writing... If only I could afford to pull a sickie... :-D I hope you enjoy this chapter and continue to keep encouraging me with your wonderful reviews!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOXO**

* * *

The Infected followed us with a vicious perseverance for several hours. They ran until their legs gave out and they collapsed from exhaustion. Their battered bodies, ravaged by the virus, could no longer cope with the unrelenting punishment that they inflicted upon themselves in their pursuit of destruction.

When they couldn't run, they crawled.

With Sam's gentle music lulling me, I was able to doze despite the fear that pumped furiously through my body. I was woken from time to time by one of the boys swearing as a pack of Infected's rushed the car when we were forced to slow down and weave through a particularly bad wreck, or the wet, fleshy sound as we hit one of the unnatural freaks. Sam showed no emotion as he ran them down, long past the point of compassion.

When Dean finally fell asleep, exhausted from the excitement of being reunited with his brother and only a few hours of sleep over the last two days, Sam and I were able to talk, getting to know each other better.

After all, we were family now.

"Where did you work?" I asked over the sound of Dean's soft snoring. He slept with his face pressed against the window.

"I was a mechanic" Sam smiled ironically. "With everything Dean taught me, and not a whole lot of other work place skills, it seemed like the best choice. And I was lucky enough to work with a great group of guys. Even with everything that had gone on, it felt good to have such a normal job. To be able to live a normal life. I didn't have to worry about demons, or werewolves, or haunted houses. It was nice to live so anonymously, you know"

"You didn't miss it?"

"Hunting? Not so much" he sighed, brushing his hair from his eyes. "But I did miss Dean. We'd been living in each other's back pockets for three years, and it was weird not to have him around. I missed the time we spent together, even though most of the time he pissed me off"

"I know exactly what you mean" I laughed. "I love him to death, but we can butt heads like you wouldn't believe"

Dean stirred, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like _Ghost Facers_.

"How did you and Addie meet?"

"She was the nurse at the small family practice" he started, leaning back in the driver's seat, his hands relaxed on the wheel. He was wearing a façade of calm, but I could see the tension in his arms, the anxiety in the way he moved. He wanted to get back to her. "I cut my hand open at work one day, and she patched me up"

"Was it love at first sight?" I asked, ever the hopeless romantic.

"Kinda" he laughed. "She handed me a prescription for antibiotics and asked me out for a drink. She's, uh… She's gutsy. Nothing scares her"

"Fearless" I murmured, gazing out the window at the remains of the World.

"She is" he nodded. "She's one of the strongest girls I know. When we found out she was pregnant, she just… She took it in her stride like it was something that happened every day. We know it's not gonna be the easiest thing, but she's… She _is_ fearless"

"I can't wait to meet her" I smiled. I had a feeling we'd be really good friends.

"So how about you? What were you doing before the Croatoan Apocalypse?"

"I was a waitress" I said, tucking my legs beneath me. "A little roadside diner in small town Georgia. Preen County, we were famous for our pies"

Dean stirred again, snorting loudly.

"Why does he call you Princess?" Sam asked, laughing at his brother. "Is it just a sickeningly cute nickname, or is there a story behind it?"

I sat up straighter, doing my best to tame the wayward curls framing my face.

"I was the Pie Princess of Preen County this year" I said proudly. "You are talking to a real life beauty queen, mister"

"Pie Princess?" he laughed, glancing at me in the rear vision mirror. His eyes were shining with amusement. "That's a real thing?"

"Hey! It was a big deal" I exclaimed with mock outrage. "There was a ceremony, and I got a crown. I opened stores, and kissed babies, and worked towards ending World hunger…"

"And how did that go for you?"

"Well, the World ended so I put my plans on hold" I laughed. "As soon as things go back to normal, I'll pick up where I left off"

"Dean marrying a beauty queen" he mused. "It actually makes sense"

"Only the best for my Cowboy" I smiled.

"Did you have any family?"

"A younger sister" I said softly, clearing my throat. "Millie. Our parents died a few years back and it…" I looked down at my hands. They were shaking. "It was just the two of us. When the virus hit… When she…"

I stopped, unable to go on. The memories of her were still too raw.

"Sorry" Sam apologised gently. "I didn't mean to bring up something painful"

"It's OK" I smiled sadly. "It's just hard, you know"

We were silent for a moment, then Dean woke with a loud yawn.

"Are we there yet?" he grumbled sleepily.

"We're about…" Sam started, glancing at a large sign as we sped by. "Maybe twenty minutes out"

"How you doing back there, Princess?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Doing good, Cowboy" I smiled, passing him a bottle of water. He took a large gulp and handed it to Sam.

"So, Dean" Sam grinned. "You married a beauty queen"

"Like I said, prettiest girl in the World" he smiled, catching my eye in the rear vision mirror.

I looked out the window, watching as the World passed us by. There was no sign of the Infected. We had lost them countless miles ago, leaving them in wasted heaps on the street.

There was a burst of static and Zeek's voice filled the inside of the car, startling me.

"Yo, Sam, you there?"

"Zeek? Is everything OK?" Sam said into the mouthpiece, frowning.

"You are not gonna believe this, dude" he exclaimed excitedly. "We just had a group of survivors turn up. Three guys in a tough-ass truck. And they say they know where more are… Oh wait, here's Addie. She wants to talk to you"

Suddenly, someone screamed. A heart-wrenching scream filled with fear.

My heart stopped.

"Zeek?" Sam yelled. "ZEEK?"

A burst of gunshots echoed in the car, punctuated with more screams. Female screams.

"ADDIE!"


	21. And Hell Will Follow

**A/N - Thanks for the reviews guys, you seriously make my day!!! OK, so this chapter is a little intense, but I hope you like it! Please let me know what you think, coz I love hearing from you all!!!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOXO**

* * *

I could feel the burning heat of Sam's anger rolling off him in furious waves. I could almost smell the thick scent of his blood boiling in his veins. His knuckles were white as he clutched the steering wheel, speeding towards the hospital at break neck speeds. We swerved abandoned cars, the tyres squealing loudly against the street, leaving a thick cloud of smoke billowing behind us.

He was pissed.

"Sammy…" Dean started, loading his gun and casting worried glances at his brother.

"Don't, Dean" Sam hissed angrily, fish tailing around a sharp corner. His foot never left the accelerator. "You heard her"

"We ain't gonna do much good if you get us killed" Dean yelled, clutching the dashboard as he was thrown against the window.

But Sam ignored him, pushing the Hummer even faster. The World around us was nothing but a blur.

I sat silently in the back, clutching my gun in my lap, my heart pounding like a jackhammer in my chest. The sound of her screams echoed in my head, reminding me of things I didn't want to remember. Of things I had tried so hard to forget.

We squealed around another corner and the hospital loomed in front of us. It was quaint, reminding me of something you'd see on _Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman_ with its pastel colours and shuttered windows. It was so small I wondered how four adults had been able to live there comfortably.

A truck was parked outside, a modified delivery van that had been equipped with thick metal bars and a macabre skull and crossbones painted on the side. It looked so ominous I expected it to roar viciously, its headlights glowing red like a possessed vehicle from a Stephen King movie. But it was silent, doing nothing more than creeping me out.

Three men, clad in dark clothing, where attempting to force a stunningly beautiful brunette into the back. Despite her belly, swollen to almost comical proportions, she was putting up one Hell of a fight. Sam was right.

She was fearless.

"Get you goddamn hands off me, you filthy son of a bitch" Addie screamed, raking her fingers across the face of one of her attackers hard enough to draw blood.

He staggered back with a cry of pain, clutching his face in his hands. She used the moment of distraction to step forward and lift her foot to his groin. Hard.

He collapsed into a whimpering heap.

"Damn" Dean winced as we skidded to a stop beside the van.

Sam leapt from the car and sprinted towards Addie, guns raised. He didn't even hesitate as he fired, hitting one of the men in the neck. A thick spurt of blood sprayed across Addie as the now dead man dropped lifelessly to the ground. Sam showed no emotion at having killed a human being.

I could help the shiver of fear that shimmied up my spine.

"Stay in the car" Dean ordered as he raced to Sam's side. He lifted his gun to the last man who was still clutching Addie, using her to shield himself like a coward.

"Sam and Dean, together again" he grinned maliciously, his eyes turning a chilling shade of black. Demon. "Boss man will be pleased"

The brothers faltered. The demon pushed Addie roughly to the ground, pulling a gun from his belt and firing.

The bullet hit Dean in the shoulder, sending him sprawling.

"DEAN!" I screamed, leaping from the car, no longer concerned with my own safety. I could literally hear the frantic pounding of my heart in my ears.

"This isn't over, Daddy" the demon said to Sam, laughing cruelly as he climbed into the cab of the truck and sped away. He left his last accomplice quivering on the ground.

Sam lifted his gun and fired after the retreating truck, but to no avail. It disappeared around a corner.

"Dean?" I sobbed, falling to my knees beside my husband. Blood blossomed on his shirt, spreading fast. "Baby?"

"Son of a bitch" he groaned, struggling to force himself into a sitting position. "I forgot how much that hurts"

"Put pressure on it" Addie called as Sam helped her to her feet. A thin line of blood trickled down her forehead but she barely seemed to notice it. "You gotta stem the flow"

Nodding, more to myself than anyone, I eased Dean gently out of his flannelette shirt and pressed it to the wound. Tears streaked down my cheeks, dripping onto the bloody shirt.

"Lu, it's gonna be OK" Dean said, more concerned about me than himself. He held his hand over mine, pressed to the gunshot wound. Our wedding bands glinted together in the sunlight.

"No, it's not" I cried. "Dean, you just got shot. By a freaking demon. Nothing's ever gonna be OK"

"Baby, it's not the first time I've been shot" he laughed, and I could have slapped him.

"Come on" Sam said, helping his brother stand. "We have to get inside before the Croats show up"

"What about him?" Addie asked, nodding her head at the men she had felled with a single kick to the nuts. "I think we should beat some information out of the fucker" She extended her hand to me, pulling me to my feet. "I'm Addie, by the way" she said with a radiant smile.

"Lulu" I said softly, helping Sam lead Dean into the small hospital. I could feel the warmth of his blood spreading across my chest, and struggled to hold myself together. All I could think, over and over in my head, was that he was going to die. I had never been so scared in my life, scared that I was going to lose the one thing in this World that I loved more than life itself. I couldn't lose him, I couldn't. It would kill me. If he died, I had nothing.

We stepped into the hospital and lead Dean through to the back room, helping him on to an exam table. His shirt was stained red with his blood. It was a lot of blood. It was too much blood.

I suddenly felt dizzy, the room around me spinning.

"Sammy, get her out of here" Addie ordered, snapping on a pair of latex gloves. "Get her a drink of water before she loses it"

I felt Sam's arms wrap themselves around my shoulders and was guided out of the room, down the hall and into a small kitchenette. He sat me down at a table, pouring a glass of water from the large bottle on the counter and handing it to me.

"He's going to be fine" Sam said gently, sitting across from me.

I stared at the glass in my hands, but all I could see was blood. Dean's blood. Millie's blood. The blood of my friends. The blood of millions of people slaughtered at the hands of the Infected. So much blood. So many lives destroyed because of this virus. It wasn't fair. None of it was fair.

And then, I was scared anymore.

I was angry. I was angrier than I had ever been before in my life.

I dropped the glass onto the table, spilling water across the surface as I stood, pulling my gun from my belt.

"Lulu?" Sam called, but I barely heard him as I raced outside.

The man on the ground was recovering, slowing dragging himself to his feet. I strode angrily across to him and kicked him solidly in the chest, forcing him back to the ground.

"Who sent you?" I yelled venomously, cocking the hammer of my gun.

"Jesus Christ" he gasped, coughing painfully as he struggled to his feet.

"Try again" I spat, whipping him across the face with the butt of the gun. I felt wild, primal. I wanted to punish this man and I wanted to make it hurt. I hit him again.

"You little bitch" he screamed, spitting blood on the ground. He lifted his hand to strike me, but Sam was suddenly by my side, grabbing his arm.

"What do you want with Addie?" Sam snarled, viciously. His face was dark with anger.

"She's just a piece of ass" the man grinned, his teeth red with his own blood.

Sam struck him across the face. And again. And again. Over and over until his face was nothing but a canvas of blood.

The man laughed. For a moment, I thought he was a demon as well, but his eyes were human.

"He's coming" he said. "He's coming and Hell will follow. And your precious little bitch will die" He laughed, and without warning his body burst into flames, a blue fire that flickered in the gentle breeze.

I stepped back, shielding my eyes from the heat of the blaze.

"Who's coming?" I asked Sam, looking up at him.

The hardness in his eyes chilled me to the bone.

He didn't take his eyes off the burning man as he answered.

"Lucifer"


	22. My Warrior Princess

**A/N - Thanks Trickster707 for the review! This is just a little filler, hope you like it. I am starting to get a little worried that I haven't been hearing from my regulars, I'm starting to think that no one likes where it's headed... :( I promise that I'll try to keep it living up to your expectations.**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOX**

* * *

Lucifer.

The Prince of Darkness.

The archangel responsible for the Fall of the Angels.

The World was so fucked up beyond belief that I could no longer see the dim light at the end of the tunnel. We were barely surviving as it was, struggling against the onslaught of the Infected, and now we were dealing with demons and the freaking Prince of Darkness.

I didn't know if we'd make it… I couldn't see how we'd live through this.

And Dean had been shot. Shot by a goddamn demon. The thought of losing him was like a knife to the heart. A sharp ache that stole my breath. It was all I could do to not come apart at the seams, and give in to the despair that was hovering over me like a thick black cloud.

I sat in the waiting room while Addie patched up Dean's wound, and Sam tended to Zeek and Father Michael, found bloodied and beaten in the back room. They were shaken, and Zeek was rambling on about wreaking vengeance, but they were otherwise OK.

The demon and his flunkies had only been after Addie.

And her baby.

The World was seriously fucked up.

"Lulu" Addie said gently, stepping out from the exam room. She pulled her gloves off and placed her hand on my shoulder. The kindness in her touch almost broke me. "Your boy is asking for you"

"Is he…" I whispered, my voice trembling. "Is he going to be OK?"

"He's going to be fine" she laughed, lighting up her pretty features. Despite everything, she looked flawless. "He's already starting to piss me off, which Sam assures me is a good sign"

I breathed a long sigh of relief, trying my hardest to force my fears as far away as possible. If Dean was OK then there was nothing to fear. In this shitty, mind-fuck of a World, I needed only him.

"Please, get in there and give him some loving before he drives us all crazy" she groaned with a smile. "But don't take too long, I'm dying for a girly chat. It's just been me and three males for the longest freaking time and I'm going out of my mind" She pressed her hands to the mountainous bulge of her belly, wincing. "Little One is playing football with my bladder"

"Thanks for… Well, for everything" I smiled appreciatively. I couldn't even bear to think what I'd have done without her medical assistance. I had no idea how to treat a gunshot wound. Anything more than a superficial cut and I was at a loss.

"I should be the one thanking you" she said sombrely. "If you guys hadn't shown up when you did… Let's just say I'm grateful that I never have to find out"

I opened my mouth to say something, but she held her hand up, stopping me.

"We have plenty of time for a deep and meaningful later" she smiled, pushing me gently into the small surgery.

Dean was lying on a hospital bed, wearing only his jeans and boots, propped up on several large pillows. The large piece of gauze taped to his shoulder was dotted with blood, but he didn't look like he was in any pain. His face lit up when he saw me, a massive grin stretching across his weary face.

"Dean" I whispered, running to him and flinging myself into his arms. I pressed my face into his neck, sobbing loudly.

"Hey, it's OK" he soothed, hugging me tightly with his good arm. "I'm fine, baby"

"You're not fine" I wailed. "You were shot, and freaking Lucifer is out there and he's after Addie, and demons are…"

"Lu, take a breath" he laughed softly, brushing hair from my face.

"I can't do it anymore, Dean" I cried, pressing my hand gently to his shoulder. It was warm to the touch and I instantly started thinking about infections, and gangrene, and amputation.

"Do what?" he frowned.

"Everything. This World… It's too hard. It's too much, and I'm so tired" I whispered between heaving sobs. "I thought I was going to lose you… If you die… If you leave me here all on my own, I couldn't…If I didn't have you I couldn't go on. I can't do this anymore, Dean… I can't"

"Don't" Dean said firmly, taking my face in his hands and holding my gaze. The fire in his eyes scared me. "Don't you even think about it, you hear me. What was the last thing on our list of promises?"

"Never give up hope" I hiccupped.

"_Never_._ Give_._ Up_._ Hope_" he repeated. "I know it's hard. I know it's fucked up. And I know you're scared. But don't you dare give up on me. You have to fight. You have to stay strong" His eyes softened. "You're my Warrior Princess, remember?"

"I'm sorry" I said, wiping the tears from my cheeks. I suddenly felt ashamed at having broken down when he was the one who had been injured. I would try to be strong for him.

"We're a sorry pair, aren't we?" he grinned, easing me onto the bed beside him as him arms snaked around my waist. "You're all beat up, I've got a gaping wound in my shoulder…"

I laughed, tracing my fingers across his chest.

"It has been a really shit couple of days" I sighed. "I'm happy you've got your brother back and everything, but honestly, I just want to hole up in our room for a week. Seriously. As soon as we get home, we're going to bed, and we're not leaving until all of this is over, OK?"

"I like the sound of that" he laughed kissing me fully on the lips. "And, if I remember correctly, there was another promise… Something to do with a naughty nurse…"

"I'll be your naughty nurse" I smiled, moving to straddle his waist. "Forever and always"

And with just his touch, he made me forget it all.


	23. It's Gonna Be So Awesome

**A/N - Thank you everyone for your reviews, hearing your oh so kind words made me feel much better about the story! And, YAY! I've reached 100 reviews! Thanks _elohcin_ for adding your reviews to the mix. I was hoping to make it to the Big Century before the baby was born, but I'm already there!!! Thanks to every single one of you for your encouraging words! I'm so glad you're all along for the ride, and I hope you continue to be by my side while I see where this takes us! As always, I hope you enjoy!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOX**

* * *

I left Dean sleeping, giving him a chance to recover from his injury and recent activities, and joined the others at the table in the kitchenette. Addie had served up a rather appetizing looking meal of tinned soup and crackers. My stomach growled savagely, and I tried to remember the last time I'd eaten a substantial meal.

Zeek, an adorably cute Geeky-Emo type, smiled broadly at me as I sat down beside Addie, his eyes never leaving me. I got the impression that he had developed a bit of a crush on me. It was too cute, and somewhat flattering, to be concerned about. I didn't think Dean wouldn't be entirely impressed, but it wasn't like he had anything to worry about. He was more than enough man for me.

As he had just proved several times over.

"How's he doing?" Sam asked, his arm draped protectively across Addie's lap, what little there was not taken up by her enormous belly. She was practically glowing, more from complete adoration of Sam than the pregnancy. They were so cute, perfectly suited for one another.

"Resting" I smiled, nibbling on a cracker. It was only slightly stale.

"I'll bet he is" Addie teased playfully, her fingers entwined with Sam's. "Wore the poor bastard out, didn't you?"

"Please, I really don't need to be thinking about that" Sam winced, pushing away his half-empty bowl of minestrone.

"What are our plans?" Father Michael, a middle-aged priest who bore a striking resemblance to Michael Madsen, asked, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Zeek and I have loaded the van with as much of our supplies as we could. Are we returning to the hotel?"

"As soon as it gets dark" Sam nodded. Just like his brother, he had assumed the role of pack leader. They were more alike than I thought, yet completely different at the same time.

"I can't wait" Zeek exclaimed, full of a youthful enthusiasm that I wished I still possessed. "Real beds, dude! Beds with actual mattresses that don't feel like you're sleeping on a bed of bricks, and pillows thicker than a bed sheet. Dude, it's gonna be so awesome"

"The beds are great" I laughed, taking a sip of water from a plastic cup. "But it's not as glamorous as it sounds. There's no electricity, no running water, and it's cold as Hell… Y'know, figuratively speaking. I'm not saying it's completely tragic, but don't expect anything too luxurious"

"Trust me, anything is better than here" Addie sighed, rubbing her belly. "I haven't been comfortable for months, and I could kill for a bubble bath. Seriously, just the thought of it, right now, is making me weak in the knees" She closed her eyes and sighed happily.

I laughed, thinking how alike we were. All we wanted were the simple things in life; our brave, rugged men, and moments of lavish tranquillity. I'd known her for only a fraction of a moment, but already I knew our friendship would be something special. My family was growing and I couldn't be happier.

Sam pressed his hand gently to Addie's belly, and they shared a sweet smile. The love and happiness glinting in Sam's dark eyes, and the flush across Addie's porcelain cheeks, was heart warming. They were obviously in love… The mushy, adorable, make you gag kind of love. I thought it was endearing.

"Do you know if any other survivors in your area?" Father Michael asked, ruining the Hallmark moment. He was looking at me, and it felt like my flesh was crawling. I didn't know what it was about him but he made me uneasy. It could have been the whole Man of God thing that left me feeling unsettled. I was never comfortable around deeply religious people, their devotion and faith creeped me out.

"We don't know" I answered, looking away from him. I couldn't hold his gaze for very long. "We have a radio, but it's kind of archaic. We've never been able to get anyone else on it… Until Sam"

"I've been working on ours and it's getting pretty good reach" Zeek said proudly, puffing his narrow chest out a little. "Give me more time and we could probably get our signal half way across the country"

"That would be amazing" I smiled, and the poor kid blushed so deeply I was worried he would pass out. Instead, he grinned awkwardly and stared down at his feet, reminding me of a bashful puppy. I just wanted to squeeze his cheeks like an embarrassingly affectionate Aunt.

"I think…" Sam started, stifling a yawn. "I think we should all get some rest. It's been a rough day"

"Tell me about it" Addie smiled wryly. She leaned forward, patting Sam on the lap. "Now, how about you boys go ahead and leave us girls to gossip. As much as I love you all, and you know I do, I really need some girl company for a while, OK?"

"Are you sure?" Sam asked her, concern flickering across his features. "After everything…"

"Sammy, I'm fine" she assured him with a smile. "You go warm up the bed for me and I'll be in shortly"

He nodded, leaning in to kiss her softly on the lips, then the three of them left the room. Sam looked over his shoulder at us before he stepped out of the room, and I could see the reluctance in the way he moved.

He didn't want to leave her.

"He is so much like Dean" I murmured after he left. "I don't know if they realise how alike they are. Modern day Heroes"

"The instant things went bad, he stepped up like champion" Addie smiled. "He didn't speak much about his life before we met. I never knew about the hunting, or the whole demon thing until the virus hit. He knew what it was straight away, and I'll be honest, he scared me. He told me about all of those things that he had seen, things I could never have imagined… And it scared the living shit out of me, y'know?"

"I do" I smiled, reaching for another cracker.

"But, despite everything, I trusted him. Hell, I loved him like I had never loved anyone before, and I would have followed him to the ends of the Earth if he asked me. Even now, I would do anything for him" She smiled to herself, rubbing her belly affectionately. I wondered if the connection between her and the baby was strong enough that it could feel what she was feeling. If it loved Sam as much as she did.

"So…" she started, leaning back and propping her feet on the chair next to her. Even though she must have been exhausted, her eyes were bright. "How did you and Dean meet? Was it like something out of a Harlequin book?"

"Not even close" I laughed, gearing myself up to tell her the tale of Dean's heroic rescue. I loved telling it. I loved telling people about how brave he was, how selfless… How he had been like a White Knight saving the damsel in distress.

At that moment, somewhere in the hospital, a window broke.

Then someone screamed.


	24. Living The Dream

**A/N - A massive thank you to my loyal readers and reviewers! I glow with pride at your words, it makes me happy, and it makes me want to keep writing forever! I hope that you keep enjoying this story, and that this next chapter keeps you intrigued! Please, on behalf of me, enjoy! XD**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXO**

* * *

I was running down the hallway before I realized it, my faithful machete drawn from the sheath strapped to my calf. I ran in the direction the screaming was coming from, fighting back the fear with a sharp explosion of adrenalin that pulsed through me. I was trying to be the Warrior Princess Dean wanted me to be. I was tough and brave, not scared and weak. I was fearless, and I was going to save the day.

I burst into a small, darkened room, finding Zeek on the floor, pinned beneath the flailing form of a half naked, Infected woman. She was screaming like a banshee, raking her blood caked fingers across his adolescent face with wild abandon. Terrified, he was screaming with a fear that actually hurt my ears, fighting against her desperately.

Stepping forward, I lifted my machete over my head and brought it down on her shoulder, splitting her flesh open with a fountain of blood that spilled across my boots. She lifted her feral face to glare at me with deadened eyes, her ragged lips pulled back in a snarl as she climbed to her feet. What little she wore, a black lace bra and panties set, was torn in unfortunate places, smeared with dirt and blood and indistinguishable food products. And she stank. The stench of her was strong enough to bring tears to my eyes.

"Zeek!" Sam yelled, coming into the room behind me. With the Infected woman's attention honed in on yours truly, he dragged Zeek to his feet, pushing him out of the room and into Father Michael's arms.

Another window broke, the sound of glass falling to the hardwood floors echoing creepily through the tight confines of the miniscule hospital, followed by more screams. Only this time, they weren't human.

The Infected were breaking in. Of freaking course they were breaking in. After everything else that had happened, how could I have expected any less? We couldn't be safe, we couldn't have a single moment of peace, we couldn't take even five minutes to catch our breath... That would be far too easy.

With an inhuman scream, the woman launched herself at me, her eyes glowing with a savage rage that chilled me to the bone.

Without a moment of hesitation, I swung the blade around, slicing through the slender column of her neck. A cascade of blood sprayed hotly across my chest as she dropped to the floor, convulsing as she died.

"LULU!" I heard Dean call, his voice thick with panic. Gunshots boomed through the tiny haven as the others fought back, desperate to survive this latest threat.

I turned to leave the room, slipping in the growing puddle of blood and falling to my hands and knees. I tried to stand but couldn't get purchase amongst the thick, sticky gore of the lifeblood spilling from the gaping slash that used to be the woman's neck. Gasping pathetically, she wrapped her fingers around my leg, using her fading strength to pull me closer to her rotting teeth. I slid through the blood helplessly, struggling to break free from her grasp.

Suddenly, Dean came running into the room, his bloodied shirt buttoned wrong, his features fraught with worry. He slipped in the blood and fell to his ass beside me, sending his sawn-off sliding across the floor. He swore loudly, and graphically, struggling to find his feet.

"Jerry Lewis to the rescue" I muttered sarcastically, lifting the machete and bringing it down on her arm. It severed cleanly, spilling more blood, more than I thought one person could hold. It had spread across the floor like a macabre rug, and I was wearing so much of it that I looked like Carrie at the prom. The woman spasmed pathetically for a moment, in the final throes of death, before finally dying.

I reached down and pulled the hand from my leg, throwing it across the room with a grimace. I used to bake pies and pour coffee for a living. Now, in this new World, I was dealing with firearms, explosives, and dismembered body parts.

Boy was I living the dream.

I struggled to my feet, blood dripping from every inch of my body, and reached down to give Dean a hand. He found his footing and stood, his eyes running down the length of my body.

"Are you OK?" he asked.

"Just dandy" I smiled wryly, shaking blood from my hands. "Urgh, this is gross"

"Did any of it…" Concern flickered across his blood-flecked face at the thought that I could be Infected. One drop was all it took. One drop was a death sentence.

"No" I assured him quickly. "No, I'm fine"

"DEAN!"

He found his gun, cocked it, and together we ran out of the room.

Over a dozen Infected had broken through the defences around the hospital and swarmed in the hallway, Hell bent on death and destruction. More were frantically beating against the boarded up windows, desperate to get inside.

We were surrounded.

Hell... We were fucked.

"DEAN! Sam called again, gallantly using his towering frame to protect Addie, firing into the savage crowd. He felled an Infected with each shot fired, his aim and precision perfect. "We have to get outside"

"Easier said than done, Sammy" Dean yelled, lifting his gun and shooting the nearest Infected, a horribly overweight man wearing only a pair of stained Batman briefs. His head exploded in a burst of gore, spraying across the wall and he slumped to the ground lifelessly. "Where are the others?"

"No idea" Sam answered, fighting two Infected's off with a wicked looking knife.

At that moment, the roar of a car thundered through the hospital, and with a squeal of tyres a monstrous white delivery van crashed through the wall, ploughing into the pulsing pack of Infected's. They fell like bowling pins.

"Hurry" Father Michael shouted out the window, his weathered face grim. "There isn't much time" He shifted the van into reverse and backed out, leaving bloodied and broken Infected's in its wake. Fighting against their injuries, they tried to climb to their feet.

"Come on" Dean said, taking my hand in his and hauling me through the gaping hole in the weatherboard building. We stumbled over crushed limbs and ravaged faces, sprinting into the blinding glare of the day. Sam helped Addie through the maze of devastation, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist as we ran for the black Hummer.

"Get in" Dean shouted, yanking the back door open and pushing me inside. An Infected man raced towards us, screeching viciously. Dean turned, shoving the end of his gun into its mouth and pulling the trigger. The headless corpse dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Swearing, Dean hauled his ass into the drivers seat as Sam and Addie climbed into the car.

Addie, breathing heavily and clutching her belly, stared at me, taking in the blood that covered me like a second skin. I could only imagine how hideously ghastly I looked.

"Does this colour suit me?" I joked, trying to lighten the moment. She smiled at me, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She was scared.

"Hold on tight" Dean said as we peeled away from the hospital, running down a teen girl and desperate housewife. The van was in front of us, ruthlessly ploughing through the growing crowd of Infected people drawn to us like moths to a flame. Zeek leaned out the window, clutching a bloodied baseball bat which he used to pulverise the skulls of any Infected not hit by the van.

The kid had some serious moxie. I was weirdly proud of him.

Addie turned in the seat, gazing through the back window at the hospital that had been their home for all this time. It was understandable that she was somewhat saddened to be leaving it behind, especially under such dire circumstances.

"So long" she whispered, and Sam reached around the seat to take her hand.

With that, we started the depressingly long trek home, the rabid pack of Infected's on our tail and growing with every heart beat. Strangely, that wasn't the worst of it.

The gas tank was barely a quarter full.


	25. Bunnies From Hell

**A/N - Thank you to everyone for your reviews, I love them!! I love waking up (coz technically I'm in your tomorrow, or somethign Star Trek-ey like that XD !!!) to find my inbox glowing with new reviews, it makes me all warm inside (in a good way!). I'm sorry about all the cliffhangers, but I just love them! They make my job muh more fun!! So, I hope you like this next installment, and that you keep blessing me with your reviews! **

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

The string of profanities that spilled from Dean's perfect lips was enough to make the burliest of hardcore truckers blush. It was poetic, almost lyrical, the way he curled the words around themselves in a macabre melody of swears. He showed no sign of stopping any time soon as he cursed angrily, punctuating each word with the thump of his fist against the steering wheel.

He was pissed, and despite everything, I couldn't help but smile. He was cute when he was angry.

"Dean, seriously" Sam winced, glaring at his brother, who was starting to look unhealthily red in the face. "It's not helping"

"Yeah, well it makes me feel better, OK?" Dean snapped, taking a painfully sharp corner at an impossibly high speed. I expected the Hummer to flip, but it stayed steady on all four wheels, built for rough riding. Manny was going to be very impressed with our new toy.

"It's a quarter full…" Sam started, trying to reason with his brother. But that was about as effective as trying to milk a bull.

"Barely" Dean muttered spitefully, pressing his foot harder to the floor, pushing the Hummer faster than was rightly safe. This wasn't going to end well…

It never did.

"… We can get a fair distance on a quarter tank, Dean"

"How far will it get us?" Addie asked. She cradled her enormous belly in her hands, looking starkly pale in the dark interior of the Hummer. I was worried at the effect that this was having on her and the baby. All this stress could not be doing either of them any good.

In barely a day, my freaking maternal instincts had kicked into overdrive. Dean was going to be pleased.

"Not far enough" Dean answered tersely, glancing in the rear vision mirror. His gorgeous green eyes were narrowed, and the fear and anger burning in them scared me.

The Infected had fallen behind a few miles back, their broken and beaten bodies no match for the grunt of the Hummer, but they were still there. They were always there.

They never gave up.

Just like freaking Energizer Bunnies.

Bunnies from Hell.

"Do you have a spare tank at all?" I asked Sam, wanting to wrap my arms around Dean and assure him that everything was going to be fine. We hadn't survived for all this time, we hadn't seen what we'd seen and done what we'd done just to be bested by a stupid goddamn son of a bitch tank of gas. Where was the justice in that?

"No, I used the last of it when I was headed your way" He laughed ironically to himself. "I figured we'd be able to fill up on the way back. I uh… I didn't think we'd be running into any trouble"

"Yeah, well, welcome to the jungle" I smiled uneasily. The four of them had probably been living a fairly peaceful existence until they'd found us, until they'd welcomed us with open arms. Now, they were all cursed with the bad juju that had been haunting us for months.

"What about the others?" Dean asked, hope hitching his voice an octave hire than usual. "You think the preacher and McGeek thought to bring back up?" The van was still in front of us, Father Michael navigating the tangled streets with a valiant ease. He seemed completely cool under pressure, which kind of endeared him to me.

Sam reached for the radio, his long fingers curling around the mouthpiece.

"Zeek? Father Michael?"

"Hey, boss" Zeek's winded voice came through the connection. "How you holing up?"

"Not so good, we're running low on gas"

"Whoa! Not cool, dude"

"Did you guys happen to pack one of the spare tanks?"

"Sorry, bro" Zeek said apologetically. "It was on the to do list until those fuckheads… Sorry… Until those _freaks_ got fist happy with us. We've got nothing"

"Fan-freaking-tastic" Dean muttered, thumping the wheel so hard I winced. He was going to break something if he wasn't careful.

"We've got some distance between us and them" Sam said, reaching forward to pull a road map from the glove compartment. He spread it open across his lap, studying the faint lines eagerly. "There's a Texaco about ten miles from here. We stop, fill up, and be back on the road in minutes"

"Great plan, Sammy" Dean spat sarcastically. "And what do we do about the other hundred fuckers that will be there waiting for us? Ask them politely to not tear us to shreds?"

"Have you got a better idea?" Sam yelled, the tension between the brothers rising hotly. "Because I don't see what other choice we have"

Suddenly, Addie cried out, clutching her belly. She leaned her head back against the headrest, whimpering to the Heavens.

Sam turned in the seat to look at her, concern darkening his features.

"Addie, are you OK?" He reached out to brush hair from her forehead, slick with sweat.

"No" she whispered, her lips quivering. "I think I'm gonna be sick…"

She leaned forward, bracing her hands against the back of Sam's seat, and retched. It looked, and smelled, like the soup she had been eating before the Infected broke in. Only worse.

She retched again, heaving painfully until there was nothing left.

"I'm sorry" she sobbed, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth. Her hands trembled, and she was shaking like a leaf. She looked up at Sam, more embarrassed than anything.

"It's OK" I soothed, reaching out and rubbing my hand across her back. The thin shirt she wore was soaked in sweat.

It was then that I noticed the clear fluid leaking across the leather of the back seat.

"Oh shit" I breathed, not needing a medical degree to know what was happening. I had seen enough episodes of _Grey's Anatomy _to make my own diagnosis.

"What?" Dean yelled, dodging an overturned RV. "What now? What else could possibly go fucking wrong?"

Addie turned her head to look at me, tears glinting in her eyes.

"I think my water just broke" she hiccupped.

I couldn't help it.

I laughed.


	26. I Preferred Laughing

**A/N - Thank you for the reviews! I love them! I'm heaps glad to see that many people like my work, it makes me feel better about myself! I hope this new chapter also tickles your fancy. Please, do let me know what you think... I will be waiting with bated breath XD**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

I laughed.

Despite everything, I laughed, and I could not stop. Not even the withering glare Dean shot me in the rear vision mirror could stop the highly inappropriate guffaws that rocked my body.

I laughed so hard it felt like I had broken a rib, a cascade of tears cutting a swathe through the dark blood that coated my cheeks. It was extremely insensitive, but I couldn't help it. The World was fucked up and I couldn't stop laughing. We were in mortal danger and quickly running out of gas. And Addie was in labour.

Hell, we were probably going to die before the night was over, and there was absolutely nothing funny about the whole thing.

But I couldn't stop laughing.

I was probably losing my goddamn mind, circling the drain of insanity before I plunged into the darkness of crazy. It was a scary thought but it only made me laugh harder.

"Jesus, Lu" Dean snapped angrily, glaring at me in the rear vision mirror. He was not happy, and to be honest, I couldn't blame him. "Do you really think that now is the best time for that?"

"I'm… sorry" I gasped between fits of girlish giggles, clutching my side. "I can't… help it…"

Addie looked across at me, breathing heavily through gritted teeth. She did not look impressed as she clutched her mountainous belly, almost trying to hold in the pain of the contractions that would soon roar across her abdomen as the baby inside her clawed its way into the World.

"I'm sorry" I said, fighting hard to contain myself, wiping tears from my bloody cheeks. "I just… It's so ri-goddamn-diculous, seriously…"

"Yeah, well, pull it together, Princess" Dean said, mounting the kerb to avoid an ice cream truck that had fallen onto its side. The large cone bolted to the top, given human features by who ever had made it, was broken in two. The dull, cracked eyes glinted evilly in the daylight. "This goddamn gas guzzler is almost dry"

That silenced me in an instant. And the fear set in.

I preferred laughing.

"Zeek and Father Michael can scout ahead for us" Sam said suddenly, turned around in his seat to clutch Addie's hands. He looked just as nervous as she did. "See if any Croats are hanging around"

Dean glanced in the rear vision mirror, searching for any sign of the Infected. The streets were eerily empty. But that didn't mean they weren't out there, waiting… Biding their time.

"Dean, it's the only way" Sam reasoned, the desperation clear in his voice. He just wanted Addie and the baby to be safe.

With a long, weary sigh, Dean nodded. We had no other choice.

"Just breathe, Addie. Just breathe" Sam said gently to his lover. "Everything's gonna be fine"

She nodded, reluctantly letting his hand go, allowing him to use the radio. I offered my own hand, hoping to make up for my earlier behaviour, and she took a hold of it anxiously. Beads of sweat trailed down her drawn face.

I couldn't even begin to imagine how scared she was.

Sam spoke a few quick words with the others in the van, and they agreed to go on ahead and see how safe the Texaco was. If it was clear, we could fill up and go merrily on our way back to the hotel to live a somewhat peaceful life for a few days until the next crisis arose.

If not… We were beyond fucked.

Dean eased off the accelerator a fraction of an inch, giving Zeek and Father Michael a substantial lead, but he was still tense. His hands clutched the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles glowed white, and I could almost hear the grinding of his teeth.

I leaned into his seat, wrapping my arms as far around him as I could, being careful not to aggravate his injured shoulder.

"I love you" I whispered, faithfully keeping the promise of our marriage. _Say I love you every day._

He relaxed slightly, lifting his hand to hold both of mine.

"I love you" he said softly.

Several tense moments later, Zeek's excited voice blared through the radio.

"Not a Croat in sight, boss. You're good to go"

We all breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"We do this quick" Dean said, flooring it as we sped toward the gas station. "In and out. We get the gas, and we go"

"What if the bowsers are dry?" Addie asked, wincing through a slight contraction as she voiced our greatest fear. "What do we do if there's no gas?"

The Texaco loomed before us, its massive revolving sign hanging limply from the roof. The front windows had been smashed and the inside of the store ransacked, obvious signs of the Infected having been through the area.

"We kiss our asses goodbye" Dean murmured, pulling into the drive and coming to a screeching halt beside a big red bowser.

Father Michael saluted us as he drove by, circling the gas station, keeping an eye out for any sign of the Infected. He had our back.

Dean moved to open his door but I stopped him.

"No, you have to stay behind the wheel" I said, unbuckling my belt. "If anything happens, we need to be able to leave quickly. You have to stay behind the wheel"

"Then who do you propose pumps the freaking gas?" he shot over his shoulder, almost sarcastically. The tone in his voice pissed me off, and I wanted to slap him. He really could be an asshole sometimes.

"Me" I spat, not one to put up with worthless chauvinism. I could feel the tension between us and knew that sooner or later we would have one of our famous fights. We were overdue for it.

"No goddamn way, Princess" he argued angrily, turning in his seat to glare at me. I glared back, not willing to give it.

"Sam will have my back" I continued, looking across at the younger Winchester brother. He nodded in agreement. "Addie can't move, and I'm gonna feel pretty fucking helpless just sitting here while you two try to do this all on your own. Trust me, please"

He said nothing, stubborn as always.

"Dean, come on" Sam pleaded. "We don't have time to just sit here…"

"Alright" Dean practically yelled, cutting the engine. "Alright… Just get it done"

I pushed the door open, and climbed down from the backseat, my eyes darting nervously around us. I felt so exposed.

Taking a deep breath, I lifted the gas pump from its holder and squeezed the trigger. For a heart stopping moment, nothing happened and I prepared to kiss my ass goodbye. But, with a loud groan, a torrent of amber liquid spurted from the hose.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you" I breathed, not really knowing who I was thanking. God, the Angel, maybe even freaking Chuck Norris. But I was grateful to whoever was watching over us.

The little door covering the gas tank popped open and I caught Deans eye in the side mirror.

He smiled at me. A small smile, but it was enough to let me know that everything between us was OK.

I unscrewed the cap, and shoved the pump into the opening, clutching the trigger anxiously. The sound of the liquid filling the tank was like music to my ears.

I looked up at Sam, who was standing on the other side of the Hummer, his gun drawn as he kept watch. His handsome features were shadowed by his fear. I wondered, briefly, if under all of that fear and worry he was excited about the baby. If he was looking forward to being a father. He turned his face to me, smiling tensely. I smiled back.

I turned back to the bowser, watching the little numbers flick crazily as the tank slowly filled. The price kept rising at an alarming rate, and I was glad that we weren't paying for this. It would cost and arm and a leg.

The blare of a horn startled me, and I almost dropped the pump, sloshing the flammable liquid all over my boots. A sudden flash of the gas fight scene in _Zoolander_ played in my mind, and I bit back another burst of hysterical laughter. Of course I would spill it on me. Now all I needed was a stray, lit cigarette to make it complete.

The white van came screeching around the corner, both Zeek and Father Michael screaming frantically out the windows.

"THEY'RE COMING!"

"Lu, get in the car" Dean yelled, gunning the engine.

"Is it full?" I asked, not wanting to leave until I knew we would make it. What was the point of all of this is we walked away with only a few drops of gas? If we didn't get enough to make it home?

"Close enough" he called. "Just get the Hell in the fucking car"

I pulled the pump out and threw it to the ground as I climbed inside. Dean was already pealing out of the gas station before I could even shut my door.

I turned in the seat, watching as a large crowd of Infected burst around the corner, running at full speed. They pulsed like they were all part of a single living thing, moaning and screeching.

"Faster Pussycat... Kill. Kill" I muttered to myself, drawing my gun and rolling the window down. I had seen this in the movies, but had no idea if it was going to work in real life.

"Lu, what the Hell are you doing?" Sam yelled, clutching the dashboard.

"Probably something very stupid" I replied, aiming for the bowser we had just used. I waited until the Infected neared it, cutting across the gas station entrance in their desperation to get to us.

I took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger.


	27. Just Like The Movies

**A/N - Thank you for my wonderful reviews, I adore all of you! I get excited about publishing new chapters because it means I get to hear from all of you, and that's the highlight of my days XD I hope you like this chapter and continue to bless me with your loving words!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

It was just like in the movies.

Only, it was less theatrical and a Hell of a lot more frightening.

I hit the bowser with a startling accuracy that impressed the heck out of me, and it exploded in a rolling ball of flames. One by one, the other bowsers follow suit in a fiery chain reaction that enveloped the whole gas station, taking the raging pack of Infected with it.

The explosion was phenomenal, lighting up the dusky grey sky as charred limbs and smoking entrails rained down around us, spattering blood and gore across the windscreen.

Not a single Infected was left standing as the fire raged with a vengeance.

"Yippy-ky-ay, mother fucker" I shouted, ducking back inside the car to avoid the flaming body parts that went flying past. "Did you see that?! Tell me that wasn't freaking awesome!"

"Baby, that was one of the stupidest, most idiotic, brainless things I have ever seen" Dean shouted, but I could hear the smile in his voice. "And it was freaking amazing!" He slapped the palms of his hands against the steering wheel, tapping out the tune to AC/DC's _Back In Black_. He sounded proud of me and I knew I'd be up for some serious loving once we finally made it home.

"It really was" Sam agreed, turning to flash me his Hollywood grin. "You're kinda crazy, you know that?"

"Like a fox" I laughed, pushing my fingers through the messy tangle of my hair. I couldn't think of a time I had felt freer. I was pulsing with adrenalin, high on excitement and happiness. We weren't out of the woods yet, but things had just gotten a Hell of a lot better.

"Boss? What the fuck was that?!" Zeek's anxious voice came through the radio. "Is everyone OK?"

"That was the handiwork of Lulu" Sam laughed into the mouthpiece. "She uh… She didn't think we had enough excitement going on"

"Wow… She's one tough broad... Just like Alice from Resident Evil" Zeek said, sounding rather enamoured. I was kind of honoured to be likened to such an awesome character.

"Listen, Zeek, we have a bit of a situation" Sam started, his voice serious. "Addie's gone into labour"

"Holy shit! Man, can the day get any worse?"

"It's not safe to stop, so we're gonna try and make it to the hotel. We'll keep you posted" He dropped the radio, and glanced at Addie in the rear vision mirror, his eyes hard with fear and worry.

She was breathing heavily, curling into herself as a contraction ripped through her. A heart wrenching pain was etched across her flushed face, sweat and tears streaming down her cheeks.

"We have time, right?" I asked, reaching out and taking Addie's hand in my own. She squeezed my fingers so hard I thought I could hear some of the bones breaking. "I mean, the first time always takes a while, right?" I looked at Sam, pleading him for the answers. I had no idea how to deliver a baby. Sure, I used to watch _Grey's Anatomy_ and _ER_, but none of it could prepare me for this.

"This kid isn't going to wait" Addie whimpered, leaning back against the headrest, exhausted. "It's coming now" She shifted her trembling frame on the back seat of the Hummer, leaning her back against the door. "Lulu, I know we just met and haven't had a chance to become BFF's, but I need you to have a look… _Down there_…"

"What?" I shrieked, mortified at the thought of looking at her vajay-jay. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to be looking for"

"Just look, and tell me what you see" she groaned, lifting her skirt up past her knees. Her legs, propped up on the backseat, were shaking.

"Oh-oh-OK" I stammered, feeling unpleasantly awkward. I peered uneasily between her legs, blushing furiously. "I… I see something… It uh… It looks like it has two heads"

"TWO HEADS!" Sam and Dean exclaimed in unison.

"Oh, Jesus Christ!" Addie cried, burying her face in her hands.

"I… Well, maybe it doesn't have two heads…" I bit my lip, glancing from Addie to Sam nervously. "I could be wrong"

"No" Addie sighed. "The baby is breech. It's coming out ass first"

"Sounds like Sammy's kid, alright" Dean laughed, smacking his brother playfully on the arm. Sam just glared at him.

"What do we do?" I asked, peering at the smooth ass cheeks that were emerging from Addie's lady parts.

"It means…" Addie started, grunting through clenched teeth as another contraction snuck up on her. "That this… is going to… HURT!"

I shifted so that I could hold both of her hands, letting her squeeze the life from them.

"It's coming" she screamed. "It's coming NOW!"

"Son of a…" Dean cursed, swerving a fallen tree and side swiping an SUV.

"How far are we from the hotel?" Sam asked frantically, reaching out for Addie's hand. A brief flicker of pain crossed his face as she bore down relentlessly, but he didn't falter.

"Two hours, maybe three" Dean answered. He glanced in the rear vision mirror and smiled his crooked smile at her. "Addie, you're gonna have to cross your legs, OK?"

"Bite me, you son of goddamn fucking bitch" Addie wailed. "I have to push! I have to push!"

"Dean, pull over" I yelled, watching as another inch of baby emerged. This kid wasn't going to wait for anyone.

"Here?" he exclaimed. "In the middle of the freaking road, while the Infected are out there? Not a good idea, Princess"

"PULL OVER!" Sam, Addie and I yelled.

"Alright" he said, pulling the car onto the side of the road and coming to a jolting stop.

"Addie, what do I do?" I asked, as Sam leapt from the car, moving to open the back door and stand behind Addie, supporting her weight. His features had paled, and I was concerned he might pass out before witnessing the birth of his first child.

Dean climbed out from behind the wheel, lifting his gun and scoping the area. It wasn't quite night yet, and the Infected were still out there. We definitely did not need them sneaking up on us inthe middle of this.

"I don't… I don't know" she sobbed, helplessly. She was exhausted, on the brink of giving up.

"Yes, you do" Sam assured her gently, brushing sweat soaked hair from her eyes. "You helped Dr Monroe deliver heaps of babies back home. Addie, baby, you know how to do this"

"But I'm scared" she whimpered. "Sammy, I'm so scared. What if... What if I can't do this"

"Of course you can" he smiled as she rested her head back against his chest, tears spilling from her frightened eyes. "You can do anything, remember?"

She groaned through another contraction, too tired to fight it.

"Addie, sweetie" I started gently, staring her in the eye, trying to get through to her before she gave in and we lost her. "You need to tell me what to do"

"You have to support the baby as it comes out" she said at last, her voice trembling. "When it's out, make sure the airways are clear"

"OK, piece of cake" I smiled, doing my best to sound confident while on the inside I was pissing myself and crying like a like girl. "I can do that"

"C'mon, baby" Sam encouraged, entwining his fingers with hers. "You have to push"

"Just so you know, Sammy" she started with a shaky smile, showing a glimpse of her former glory. "You are never, ever touching me again"

In the background, Dean sniggered and I shot him a withering glare.

Bracing herself against Sam, Addie pushed, screaming like a banshee. I reached my hands down between her legs to support the tiny bottom of her baby as it was slowly introduced, backwards, into the World.

The next few moments passed in a blur as Addie screamed and swore, pushing with every last ounce of strength she could find inside herself. Sam and I offered words of encouragement, urging her to push and breathe, push and breathe.

Finally, with a sluice of blood and other stuff that I didn't want to think too much about, her baby came into the World with an ear-piercing scream.

"Ohmygod" I gasped, holding the tiny, wriggling newborn in my hands. "Ohmygod"

"Is it OK?" Addie asked breathlessly. "Is it OK?"

"It's… It's…" I could barely speak through the tears. "It's a girl"

"A girl?" Sam breathed, his cheeks wet with tears. "I have a daughter?"

"Congratulations" I said, my voice hitching emotionally. Carefully, afraid of breaking this tiny, perfect little person, I handed Addie her daughter. She cradled her in her arms, leaning in to kiss the top of the baby's head, breathing in the new baby smell. "She's beautiful"

"She's perfect" Sam murmured, unable to take his eyes from his daughter. "She's absolutely perfect"

"Ohmygod, Sammy" Dean said, peering in to look at the squalling girl. "You're a daddy" A single tear traced down his unshaven cheek, and I threw my arms around him, touched at his blatant display of emotion.

"Have you thought of a name?" I asked, wiping the tears from my cheeks with only a hint of embarrassment.

"Well, I haven't spoken with Sam yet" Addie said with a watery smile as she gazed down at her child. The love that glistened in her teary eyes was heart warming. "But I was thinking Delia, after my Mamma. Delia Mary Winchester"

"I think it's perfect" Sam said through a fresh wave of tears, pressing his lips to Addie's forehead.

I looked at them, at their little family, and smiled. It had been the scariest, most disgusting and horribly nerve wracking moment of my life.

But I had never seen anything more beautiful.


	28. This Baby

**A/N - Thanks for the reviews guys, love hearing from you. So, this one came kind of quickly because I couldn't sleep... I stayed up all night listening to the wicked storm that raged across the Outback! Man, it was totally awesome! Anywho, please enjoy and please do keep reviewing because it makes me oh so happy!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

The night fell, blanketing the streets in a peaceful darkness that heralded an end to our Day from Hell. We had survived. We were safe, and we were almost home, and we had just welcomed a baby into the World. A beautiful baby that meant there was still hope for us yet.

All things considered, it had been a pretty awesome day.

Addie cradled her sleeping daughter in her arms, leaning into Sam as they snuggled together on the back seat, in total awe of their child. I sat in the passenger seat beside Dean, smiling to myself as we held hands over the console. The mood inside the Hummer was peaceful, almost euphoric. We weren't in mortal danger anymore. Gone was the fear and anxiety, the frustrations and the tension, all replaced by a sense over overwhelming relief.

The only thing concerning us now was getting home and falling into bed to sleep for the next week.

"You did good, Princess" Dean said softly, turning to smile at me. His features were rugged and weary, exhausted from everything we had been through. He needed a shaved, and a shower, but to me he had never looked more handsome. "You did real good"

"You weren't too bad yourself" I smiled back, leaning my head against the headrest as I struggled to keep my eyes open. The adrenalin had well and truly worn off and I was fighting hard to stay awake. But I didn't want to sleep, not yet.

He lifted my hand to his lips, and gently kissed my knuckles.

"Both of you were amazing" Addie said gently from the back, looking up from her child for a fraction of a second. "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me… For us" She smiled down at Delia, brushing her fingers lovingly across her daughters cheek.

"You're family" Dean said simply. "And that means something, especially now, with all of this"

I smiled at him, wanting nothing more than to climb into his arms and kiss him for hours. He was so noble… So brave, and noble and perfect.

And he was mine. My one and only.

Forever and always.

Moments later we reached the hotel, standing tall amongst the ruins of the city. I could make out a figure standing at the entrance to the underground parking garage, holding an oil lantern high over their head. Manny waved at us as we approached.

"Welcome home" I grinned.

We pulled into the garage and came to a smooth stop behind the Impala, followed closely by Zeek and Father Michael in the van. I could see Orla and Ruth standing in the doorway to the lobby, the glow of candles giving them an ethereal appearance.

I climbed down from the Hummer, casually stretching the bone deep ache from my muscles.

"Oh, my child" Ruth cried, running to me and taking me into her arms. She hugged me tightly, pressing her lips to my cheeks. "We've been so worried"

"Ruthie, we're fine" I smiled, gently untangling myself from her arms. "It's been a seriously fucked up day, but we're fine"

"Lulu, language" she chastised, ever the doting mother. And I loved her for it.

"Sorry" I grinned sheepishly.

She embraced Dean as he stepped down from behind the wheel, fussing over his bullet wound.

Sam emerged from the back seat and turned to help Addie and their child.

"Guys, this is Sam, Dean's brother" I said, smiling broadly. "And his better half, Addie"

Ruth and Orla gasped at the sight of the sleeping newborn, wrapped snugly in Sam's shirt.

"And this is their daughter, Delia"

"Girl, what exactly have y'all been up to" Orla exclaimed, keeping her voice low so as not to wake the baby.

"Long, long story" I laughed.

I made introductions as we moved inside, and everyone got along so effortlessly that it felt like we had been together for ever. Zeek made fast friends with Fletch, and Ruth quickly latched herself onto Father Michael. They spent hours discussing faith and religion, connecting like soul mates. Only Birdie seemed a little wary, sitting alone in the corner and watching us with wide eyes.

Ruth whipped up a simple meal of saltines and tinned vegies, nothing special, but more than enough to satiate our rumbling bellies. We drank wine and warm soft drinks, celebrating our survival and the expansion of our family, and toasting to the safe arrival of Sam and Addie's gorgeous daughter.

I had been tired before, but with all of this excitement I had no desire to go to bed anytime soon. I was having too much fun.

We all took turns holding Delia, each and every one of us falling more and more in love with her as the minutes ticked by. She was perfect. Ten tiny, perfect little fingers. Ten tiny, perfect little toes. Perfect little lips, and a perfect button nose.

There had never been anything more beautiful in this World than her.

Gently passing her to Dean, who had started referring to himself as Uncle Dean, I walked over to where Birdie was sitting, huddled alone on a sofa. She was muttering something to herself, her eyes darting around the room as though she expected something to emerge from the shadows.

"Hey, sweetie" I said softly, sitting down beside her. "How are you doing?"

"The bough is breaking" she whispered, looking up at me with frightened eyes.

"No" I smiled. "We saved Addie, see" I looked across to where Addie was sitting with Sam, his arms wrapped around her as they watched Dean with Delia. "And her baby is safe. Everything is fine, and everyone is going to be OK. We're safe now. There's nothing to worry about"

"No, no, no" she cried, clutching my top in her hands. "The baby boy is crying, he's crying in the dark and no one can find him"

"Oh, honey, Addie had a girl. There is no baby boy" I cradled her face in my hands.

With a sob, Birdie gave a gentle shake of her head. "Not that baby"

She pressed her hand to my belly, and my heart stopped.

"This baby"


	29. It's Been A Long Day

**A/N - Another one! I've just been rather inspired lately, and can't stop writing! I'm so happy everyone is enjoying the story. A giganomous thank you to my ever faithful reviewers, and to all those who are reading it (I love watching the count rise and rise!). I hope you like the latest chapter, these next few ones will be a little quiet on the action front. I figured they needed a bit of a break after everything they have face. Please enjoy!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOX**

* * *

My baby?

I was pregnant?

No. I couldn't be. It was impossible.

We were always careful. We had a lifetime's supply of assorted protection stashed in a set of drawers in our suite, a range of colours and flavours that would put the Worlds Sex Industry to shame. And we enjoyed using them.

Of course, there had been several times where we were too impatient, too caught up in the passion of our love making to put them to use. But…

There was no way I could be pregnant.

"I'm sorry" Birdie whispered, shifting on the sofa to lay her head on my lap. I could feel the warm burn of her tears on my bare thighs as she cried silently. "The baby boy is crying, and there's nothing we can do. Lights in the darkness, don't get lost"

"I'm… I'm pregnant?" I said softly, brushing my fingers through her baby-fine hair. I felt…

Numb. I felt numb.

Shocked, confused and numb.

I couldn't be pregnant. I just couldn't be.

"Birdie, I don't understand" I pressed my hands to my belly, trying to feel something, anything. But there was nothing different about me. Women were supposed to know when they were pregnant. They were supposed to feel the changes in their bodies, the spark of conception as a new life was ignited inside of them.

I felt nothing.

I looked across at Dean, gazing down at his niece with an expression of awe and love. I watched him and knew that he would be a great father. I knew that he would love this child, if there was one, with every inch of his heart and soul.

But what could we give a child in this World that was worth anything? Fear? Danger? A constant fight for survival? I wanted babies. Of course I did. I wanted nothing more than to settle down in the country with Dean and give birth to a litter of his progeny, to spend endless days raising our children and living off the land. I longed for it. I dreamed about it. I wanted it like I had never wanted anything before in my life.

But we weren't ready. And according to Birdie, our child, our son, was in danger.

I felt like crying, suddenly overcome by so much emotion that I felt like I would burst.

I had to know for sure. I had to know if what Birdie said was true.

I had to speak with Addie. She was a nurse, she would be able to know if I was, or wasn't, pregnant. She could test my pulse, or peer down my throat, or do whatever it was they did, and tell me if I was with child.

But this wasn't the time for it. Not now, when everyone was too caught up in celebrating our blessed fortune. They were all so happy, all so enamoured with Delia to be harassed by my possibly pointless fears.

It would have to wait.

"Lu, are you OK?"

I looked up, blinking back tears, and saw Dean kneeling before me, a concerned expression on his handsome face.

"Just tired" I said, forcing a smile. It was mostly the truth. I couldn't tell him about the baby, not yet, at least. It could be nothing, just the inane ramblings of a mentally unstable teenage girl. I didn't want to get him worked up over nothing.

"You want to go to bed?" he asked with a wicked grin, and I knew sleep was far, far from his mind. Even with everything that had gone on, all he could think about was getting some loving.

"Soon" I nodded. "Let's just enjoy the moment for a little longer"

Birdie sat up, reaching out to brush her fingers against Dean's injured shoulder.

"Handsome man saved the girl" she whispered, a sweet smile spreading across her features.

"Damn straight, I did, kiddo" he grinned, helping her to her feet. "Now why don't you go bug Manny so I can spend some time with my girl. Just don't go giving him anymore black eyes, OK?"

Birdie laughed with such a childish abandon that I found myself smiling for real. She curtseyed to Dean, then made her way over to where Manny was showing Zeek his vast collection of tattoos.

"So, we're gonna go back to that Wal-Mart tomorrow night" Dean started, falling dramatically onto the sofa beside me and wrapping his arm around my shoulder. "Get some more supplies, and some things for the baby"

I rested my head against his shoulder, watching Sam and Addie with their daughter. They made it look so effortless. They didn't look scared, or worried, only happy and in love.

"Can you believe it? Sam's a dad" Dean said softly. "Growing up, I never wanted him to have the life dad and I did. I wanted him to find a great girl to settle down with, and have a family. I wanted him to have the life I never could. I look at him now, and, despite the freaking Apocalypse that has turned this World upside down, I'm… I'm happy for him. He's got everything I wanted him to have"

Sam caught us looking, and smiled broadly, cradling his sleeping daughter in him arms. He looked every inch the perfect father.

And I knew Dean would be, too.

"You sure you're OK?" Dean asked, pressing his lips to my forehead. "You're a thousand miles away"

"It's been a long day" I sighed wearily. "And I could really do with a shower" I had cleaned myself up as best I could in the Hummer with a bottle of water and a handful of tissues, and while I no longer resembled Carrie, I was far from clean.

"You and me both, Princess" he grinned, standing and pulling me to my feet.

We wished everyone a good night, leaving them to continue their celebrations, and headed upstairs to our suite. It felt like forever had passed since I'd last seen our bed. I looked forward to crawling under the covers at long last.

Dean undressed, then helped me out of my clothes, tossing them into the wastebasket, and led me to our ensuite. I lit the candles while he set up the shower, and we stepped under the icy flow together.

"You were awesome today, Princess" he said, soaping up a washcloth and cleaning the dried blood from my chest.

"I was scared shitless the entire time" I laughed.

"But you still did it. You fought off the Infected, you blew hundreds of them to smithereens, and you delivered a freaking baby. You're amazing" He brushed his fingers through my tangled curls, rinsing out the blood.

"You ain't too bad yourself, baby" I smiled, standing on my toes to kiss him.

Dropping the washcloth, he returned the kiss hungrily, pressing me against the cold tiles of the wall. I felt his excitement straining against me and knew we wouldn't make it to the bed before we upheld our wedding vows.

And all I could think about was the baby.

Our baby.

Our son.


	30. Rise And Shine, Cowboy

**A/N - Thanks for the reviews, I dig your style! Yes, I've put a bit of a spanner into the works, but fear not! All shall be revealled in time XD Again, this is just another filler, but I hope you like it. Thanks to everyone for being so loyal and continuing to read my work, I adore you all for it!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXO**

* * *

It was long into the afternoon when I finally woke, drawn from sleep by the distant sound of a crying baby. For a brief, heart-stopping moment, I thought it was my baby, lost in the dark just as Birdie had predicted. I sat up suddenly, unable to breathe as I reached my hands in front of me, trying to pluck him from the darkness.

But then I remembered the events of yesterday, bringing Delia into the World with my own two hands, and relaxed. I let out a long, desperate breath as I fell back against the pillows, reaching under the bedcovers for Dean's hand. I slipped my fingers into his, closing my eyes and listening to the rise and fall of the baby's cries. In his sleep, Dean squeezed my hand gently, keeping hold of me even in his dreams.

Ruth had set Sam and Addie up in the family suite down the hall from Dean and I, an extravagant, sprawling three bedroom suite with more than enough room to raise little Delia. She had also found a simple white bassinet in the hotel storage for them to use, but it had proved pointless. Neither Sam or Addie could bear to part with their daughter long enough to put her down. She slept in the safety of her parents' arms, pressed against their heartbeat, never once feeling the strange, unfamiliar touch of the bassinet. She was going to be spoiled rotten.

I could hear the soft lull of Addie's voice as she walked up and down the hall, an attempt to soothe her child to sleep. She had taken to motherhood like she was born for it, and made it look so easy.

Lying there in bed, I pressed my hand to my belly, trying to feel the baby that was apparently growing inside of me. Trying to feel for some kind of connection between me and the son I was supposedly carrying.

Could I really be pregnant?

Could my son really be in danger, lost in the dark as he cried?

Could the ramblings of a scared little girl really be true?

I was still wide-awake an hour later when the night finally fell and the Infected disappeared into the shadows. I leaned into Dean, pressing my lips to the rough stubble of his cheek.

"Rise and shine, Cowboy" I said softly, brushing my fingers lightly across his ribs, waking him.

"Just one more hour" he moaned, burying his face into the pillows.

"Not tonight" I said with a smile. "We've got work to do"

He lifted his head, and peered at me through tired eyes. He still hadn't shaved, and was starting to look like a grizzled mountain man, which, even on him, wasn't good look.

"Oh, baby" I laughed. "You really need to shave those whiskers off"

"I think it makes me look refined" he mused, scratching his fingers along his jaw.

"No, honey, it doesn't" I said. "All it does is give me bad pash rash. And that is never a good look" I threw the covers back and climbed down from the bed, reaching my hand out for Dean's.

I dragged him into the bathroom for a quick shower, helping him finally shave the dark beard from his handsome features.

We dressed and made our way downstairs, where Ruth and Father Michael, seemingly joined at the hip, were preparing a vast breakfast for the family. There was freshly cooked bread, tinned fruit, a long wall of cereal, and what looked unfortunately like Spam. Just the smell of it made my stomach roll.

"Good morning" Father Michael greeted jovially, gesturing his hands at the impressive array of food. "Please, take a seat and dig in"

Zeek was already working on demolishing a box of Frosties, sitting with Birdie and educating her on the difference between Trix and Count Chocula. She listened with rapt attention to each word he spoke, nodding enthusiastically. I had a feeling she was crushing on him.

They looked up as we approached, sitting across from them at the long, mahogany table, and a blush spread across Zeek's face. It was becoming a rather alarming habit.

"How'd you sleep?" I asked, reaching for the carton of OJ and pouring Dean and myself a glass.

"Good" he said around a mouthful of cereal. "It was nice being in a proper bed again"

"We'll work on setting up a shower for you later tonight" Dean said, spreading peanut butter across a slice of bread for me. He spread it nice and thick, just the way I liked it. "It won't be pretty, but it'll be better than giving yourself a whore's bath"

"Dean!" I laughed. "Do you really have to be so vulgar?"

"Do you have hot water?" Zeek asked, unconcerned by Dean's language.

"No, the whole system is shot to Hell. The Power and Water plant blew up months ago and we haven't had running water since" Dean shrugged. "It sucks, but you get used to it"

Orla, Fletch and Manny made their way down, joining us at the table for this awesome feast.

Ruth wondered aloud if we should get Sam and Addie, but we all agreed to give them another hour of rest. It was more than likely that they had been up most of the day with Delia.

Spirits were high as we ate, everybody excited about heading to the Wal-Mart again. Even Birdie, who had experienced the worst kind of Hell in the store, seemed happy to be going back. Orla, especially, was looking forward to new clothes. We didn't have much, only what we had been able to find during the first few months. And to be honest, I was excited, too. I was sick and tired of wearing the same clothes over and over again.

Sam and Addie stepped into the lobby just as we were finishing up, looking tired but happy. Delia slept in a sling they had fashioned from a bed sheet, slung around Addie's shoulders. Even though she probably hadn't slept at all, Addie was glowing. Her eyes twinkled and the broad grin never fell from her face.

They sat down and Ruth poured them both a glass of OJ.

"Did you guys get any sleep?" Dean asked, leaning back in his chair.

"No, not really" Sam smiled.

"You wanna stay behind while we head out?"

"I would be more than happy to look after that darling child while you sleep" Ruth offered with a smile.

"No, we're fine" Addie said, sipping her drink. "Gonna have to get used to juggling her and the Apocalypse sooner or later" She laughed. "I wonder if I'm the only mother whose ever had to worry about that"

My stomach churned at the word 'mother'. Was _I_ going to be a mother?

"How far out is the Wal-Mart?" Sam asked, pouring a tin of fruit salad into a bowl for Addie. She smiled at him gratefully, one arm wrapped around their daughter.

"Not far. The road's clear so it won't take long" Dean answered.

I stood and helped Ruth and Father Michael clear the dishes and rubbish from the table, leaving the others to discuss our plans for the night. I wasn't really in the mood to be sociable anymore.

"Lulu, sweetheart, are you OK?" Ruth asked, her voice etched with concern as she followed me to the kitchen.

"I'm fine" I smiled, pouring a small bottle of water into the sink and rinsing off the bowls and plates. "Just tired"

"After the days you've had lately, I don't blame you, honey" She brushed her hand through my hair, just like my mother used to, and I wanted to cry.

Instead, I forced a smile, and returned to the dishes. Anything to keep my mind off Birdie's words. I didn't want to think about it... I couldn't think about. Not yet, anyway.

"Don't worry, child. There is light at the end of all this darkness" she said, sounding so sure of herself. Her faith was strong and unwavering.

And, honestly, I wanted to believe her.


	31. Time's Up, Sweetie

**A/N - Phew! This one took longer to finish than I thought! I knew exactly what I wanted to happen, but didn't know how to get there! Oh well, it's done now, and I sincerely hope you all like it! **

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOX**

* * *

I watched the World pass by in a blur as we navigated the stark and lonely streets, the bright glare of the Impala's headlights cutting a swathe through the darkness. The vestiges of a lost civilization, slowly rotting as the days and nights dragged by, littered the land like a graveyard of wasted vehicles. Cracked windscreens and shattered headlights smiled mournful as we drove by.

Beside me, Dean drummed his fingers against the steering wheel in time to _Bad Moon Rising_, leading our colourful convoy of raiders towards the Wal-Mart. He was giving off an air of careless ease, but I could feel the tension and frustration rolling off him. It was thick and suffocating, and it was all because of me.

I hadn't said a word since we'd left the hotel. And it wasn't that I didn't want to. I had tried, Laws yes I had tried, but I couldn't. Each time I opened my mouth to form a syllable, I almost told him about the possible baby growing deep in my womb. A baby, a son, that was possibly in grave danger. And I didn't want to tell him, not yet. Not until I knew, either way, for sure.

So until then, he would just have to stay angry with me.

I glanced in the side mirror at the line of cars behind us. Sam and Addie, along with baby Delia, were in the Hummer; Manny, the van; Fletch and Zeek commandeered _Romero_; and Orla and Birdie rode in _Tarantino_. Ruth and Father Michael had opted to stay behind, claiming that they would organise the supplies we had been inundated with and do some housekeeping. Secretly, I thought they were sweet on each other and wanted some time on their own. They had both probably been lonely for a very long time and were seeking solace in each other. It was kind of adorable.

Letting out a long, forced breath, Dean flicked through the songs on the CD, barely even listening to them before moving to the next.

I was waiting, uneasily, for the yelling and the screaming that was fated to happen. I could feel the tension, like an ugly black cloud, building and swelling until the inevitable explosion happened.

I didn't have to wait long.

"Goddamn it, Lu" Dean exclaimed, flicking the CD player off and plunging us into a deafening silence. "Would you just tell me what's going on already? Seeing you like this is killing me"

"I'm fine" I said, forcing a smile and trying to make my voice sound as convincing as possible. I failed miserably.

"No, you're not" he said, glancing across at me with hard eyes. "I know you, Princess, probably better than you know yourself. And you are not fine. You're far from it. Please, just tell me what's wrong"

"There's nothing wrong" I shrugged. "I'm perfectly fine. It's just been a long few days"

"That's bullshit" he spat angrily, the tyres of the Impala squealing as we turned into the Wal-Mart parking lot. "Don't you remember what we promised each other? _Never lie, no matter how much the truth may hurt_" We came to a jolting stop at the loading bay, the others pulling up beside us. "And this, what you're doing... You're lying to my face, Lu, and it hurts like Hell"

"I'm not…" I tried, hating myself for doing this to him. It wasn't the first time we had fought, far from it. Our fights were epic, legendary. Some of them lasted for days. We were truly, madly and deeply in love, there was never any doubt about that, but the passion we shared was fiery and turbulent. It was so intense that occasional disagreements were bound to happen.

But, my heart still broke painfully with each fight.

"Save it" Dean snapped, climbing out of the car and slamming the door behind him. He strode angrily towards the fire door without even looking back.

I hated myself so much it hurt.

I stepped out into the biting chill of the night, shivering, and walked slowly to where the others were gathered while Dean picked the lock for the second time.

"Shoes" Orla sighed dreamily, her arm slung across Birdie's shoulders. They had obviously bonded while I was away. "Think of all the shoes"

"Single Malt Whiskey" Manny smiled, a fat cigar clenched between his teeth. "Johnny Walker… Blue label"

"Is that all you think about?" Fletch teased playfully. "Dude, I think you might have a bit of a problem"

"I'll give you problem" Manny laughed jovially, ruffling Fletch's hair.

"We have four hours" Dean said harshly, doing nothing to disguise his bad mood. He gave everyone a hard look, and stepped into the store.

Everyone but me.

I waited patiently until the others had walked inside, and, taking a deep breath the calm the tears welling in my eyes, I followed them.

We lit Coleman lanterns, and split up, finally living every girl's dream of an unlimited shopping spree that wouldn't cost a single cent. We had free rein in this store, anything we wanted, anything we desired, was ours.

But my heart wasn't in it.

I walked through the endless racks of clothing, running my fingers across the clean, crisp fabrics of the shirts and dresses. I used to love shopping for clothes with Millie. We would shop from dawn 'til dusk, never tiring, always having the time of our young lives.

Standing here, now, surrounded by all these clothes, I was reminded of her.

"Hon, are you OK?" Addie said, coming up behind me. It was the first time all night I had seen her without Delia. She looked… She looked empty.

"I need your help" I said softly, my voice hitching. It was all I could do to not collapse in a sobbing heap at her feet. "I think… I might be… There's a chance I'm pregnant"

She didn't get gushy. She didn't squeal girlishly and twirl me around. She didn't react at all, and I loved her for it.

"Head to the ladies" she said simply, reaching out to give my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I'll go get a test for you"

I nodded, pushing my fingers through my long curls and heading to the back of the store. I passed Orla and Birdie on my way there, the two of them trying on an assortment of high heels and hooker boots. They looked like they were having fun, and I would have given anything to join them.

In the ladies bathroom, which consisted of three stalls and a stainless steel sink, I sat on one of the toilets, resting my head in my hands. I sat there for what felt like a lifetime until Addie finally came in, holding a small white box in her hands.

"Have you used one of these before?" she asked, kneeling down before me. She passed me the box. It was unnervingly light. How could something so light tell me something so significant?

"No" I said with a harsh laugh. "Before Dean… I was… I uh…" I cleared my throat uncomfortably. "He was my first"

"Aw, that's so sweet" she gushed, a wistful smile spreading across her face. "Like a fairytale"

"Yeah, it was magical and all that crap" I said, more concerned with the matters at hand. "What do I do with this?" I opened the box, tipping the contents into my lap. A thin plastic stick came out.

"You pee on that" Addie said, nodding at the stick.

"Gross" I sighed.

She gave me my privacy while I awkwardly manoeuvred the stick to a prime flow position, and waited until my bladder worked up the courage to co-operate. I hummed to myself, the theme tune to a TV sitcom that was long forgotten now, and was finally able to perform the necessary duty.

Stepping out of the stall, holding the stick at arms length, I walked across to the sink and set it down on the ledge so I could wash my hands.

"How long does it take?" I asked, pacing across the small space of the restroom.

"Two minutes" Addie said. "Why do you think you're pregnant?"

"Something Birdie said"

"Birdie? The teeny blonde girl? she frowned, her hands on her hips. "You're all wigged out because of something a teenage girl told you?"

"She's very… Perceptive" I said, defending the girl who was almost like a sister to me. I cared about her deeply. "She's said a lot of things that have come true. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have gotten to you in time"

"OK, I'm sorry" Addie smiled, holding her hands up. She suddenly turned serious, looking at me with a sisterly affection. "Would it really be so bad if you were pregnant?"

"I'm not trying to be insensitive" I started, sitting back down on the toilet, playing nervously with my fingers. "But I don't think we're ready. I don't think _I'm_ ready. There's still so much out there that could… In the last few days, I've almost died more times than I can count. I don't know if I have the strength to raise a baby when I can barely look after myself"

"It's scary. Trust me, I know it is" she said gently. "Our futures aren't paved in rainbows or cotton candy, and the threat of the Croats is about as pants-shitingly frightening as they come, but there's still so much beauty out there" She looked down at her wristwatch, a grim expression on her face. "Time's up, sweetie. The moment of truth is upon us"

"You do it, please" I begged. "I can't… I just… I can't. Please"

She nodded, walking across to the sink and picking up the little white stick that was going to decide my future.

"It's negative" she said softly.

"So, I'm _not_ pregnant?" I breathed, and I was… I was sad. I had actually gotten used to the idea of being pregnant without realising it. "There's no baby?"

"I thought that was supposed to be a good thing" Addie said, setting the stick down and walking over to me.

"It is… No, it really is" I said, choking back a sob. "I just… I see you and Sam with Delia, and I want that with Dean. I do. I want it so much. And Dean will make a great father, and we'd have such beautiful babies together. I'm scared shitless at the thought of raising a child with everything going on, but I think… I think a part of me actually wanted this baby"

And then I was crying. Crying for a baby that never even existed.

"I'm sorry" I sobbed, wiping tears from my cheeks with shaky hands. "This is stupid... How can I be upset over something I never had?"

"Well, then" Addie started with a smile. "I guess it's a good thing I was lying"

"What?" I hiccupped.

"It was sneaky, yes, but now you know how you really feel about it" she grinned, handing me the white stick.

"I… I… What does that mean?" I frowned, looking down at the dark pink line that cut through the tiny little window.

"Congratulations, honey. You're having a baby"


	32. Everything Happens For A Reason

**A/N - Thanks for the reviews guys. Love hearing from you!!! Yes, I took inspiration from FRIENDS, which happens to be one of my all time favourite shows! I couldn't think how else to write it. Hope you like the latest chapter. I'm working hard to update at least once, but hoping for twice, a day. If I didn't have to work all I would do is write!! Plus, I just got the new Stephen King book and I was up all night reading it... Seriously, it was hard to put it down to write this XD So anywho, please enjoy.**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

Pregnant.

I was pregnant.

I stared down at the little white stick in my hands, no longer caring that just minutes ago I had peed on it. This teeny, tiny, miniscule little thing had just announced that there was a baby nestled deep in my belly. A baby. A child. A _son_.

Dean's son.

"I'm having a baby" I whispered, smiling through the tears that showed no sign of stopping anytime soon. I had been so scared before, scared about what this baby would mean, but none of that mattered now. All that mattered was the baby. All that mattered was how much I was going to love this child… How much I already did. I was going to keep this child safe, I would never let anything happen to him. I would give my life for him.

"Does Dean know?" Addie asked.

"No" I said, unable to take my eyes from the little white stick that had just changed my life so dramatically. "We're kinda not talking at the moment"

"Not talking?" she laughed softly.

"It happens" I shrugged. I stood up, walking over to the sink and gazing at my reflection in the mirror. I turned side on and lifted the bottom of my t-shirt, studying the lines of my belly. It didn't look any different. "How did you know you were pregnant?"

"I started getting fat. Like, scary fat. And since we'd been living on rice and soup, I had an inkling" she answered, leaning against the wall. "The hospital we were camped out in had a ultrasound machine, so I administered my own with a little bit of difficulty and voila!, there she was" She smiled at the memory, pressing her hands to the soft swell of her belly, empty since giving birth to her beautiful daughter.

"Were you scared?"

"Like you wouldn't believe" she laughed. "I don't think I had ever been more terrified in my life. But, you know what they say… Everything happens for a reason. If the virus hadn't hit, Sam and I would have still been together, still having a baby… So, really, the only difference was that we were… Y'know, fighting through the freaking Apocalypse. I sucked it up and got on with life. It's really all you can do"

"Suck it up" I whispered.

I had to be strong for my son. For our son.

I had to be a Warrior Princess.

"Come on" Addie said, taking my hand in hers and leading me back into the store. "Let's go shopping"

I felt better this time around as I loaded my shopping cart with piles of clothes, not even bothering to check the sizes. It felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I knew things weren't peachy keen, Birdie's haunting words still played through my mind, but I couldn't deny the happiness that swelled in my heart. Despite everything, I loved this baby. I was terrified, more so than I had ever been before in my entire life, but I loved him.

My son.

I had to tell Dean.

Leaving the shopping cart in the aisle, I went in search of Dean, taking a quick detour to the baby section on my way. It didn't take me long to find him.

He stood in the weapons section, studying each gun intimately before loading it carefully into his cart. He looked up as I approached, his features dark.

"Hey" I said softly, moving to stand beside him as he reached for a large, beastly shotgun.

He said nothing, giving me the silent treatment that he was so good at.

"I'm sorry" I started, staring at the line of guns in front of me and trying to keep the bomp-bomp-bomp of my heart steady. "I'm sorry I lied to you. I didn't mean to hurt you, I never wanted to hurt you. I just… I had some things going on in my head…"

"And you couldn't talk to me about it?" he exclaimed, dropping the gun unceremoniously into the cart. I winced, waiting for it to go off, but nothing happened. "Goddamn it, Lu. We've been together long enough that you should know you can talk to me about anything"

"I know, and I'm sorry" I said, turning to face him. "I wanted to tell you, I did. But it was… It wasn't…I couldn't…"

"What?" he thundered, his face shadowed with frustration. He was mad, scary mad, but I loved him. I loved him more in that moment than ever before. "What was so bad you couldn't tell me?"

"Close your eyes" I said softly.

"What?" he frowned, confused.

"Please, just close your eyes, and hold out your hand"

With a pointed sigh, he did as I asked, but he didn't look happy about it.

I reached out and placed the tiny objects in his hands, smiling to myself.

"OK, you can open your eyes now"

He did, and looked down at the two impossibly tiny, black socks in his hands. One had **AC** sewn into the toes with bright red thread, the other had **DC**. They were the cutest things I had ever seen.

"I don't think they'll fit me, Princess" Dean said softly, lifting them up in his fingers. He glanced at me, looking so adorably clueless that I just wanted to hug him.

"They're not for you" I smiled, pressing my hands to my belly. "They're for him"

"Him? Him who?"

"Your son"

"My… My… What?" His eyes widened, and the socks fluttered to the floor. "You're… You're…"

"I am" I nodded. "I only just found out, though. Birdie said some things that made me think I could be, and I was scared because she thinks he's in danger, and, I mean, what kind of a World is this to raise a baby in. I was scared because I didn't know how you'd feel. That's why I couldn't tell you" I was rambling nervously, but I couldn't stop the words from spilling from my lips. "So I got Addie to help me, and she was so great, and she tricked me into admitting that I did want this baby, that I was happy. And I am. Dean, I'm so happy, and so excited because…"

He silenced me with a kiss. A kiss that forced the air from my lungs and the thoughts from my head.

"I…I…" I stammered when we parted, feeling light headed and unable to form coherent thoughts. I looked at him, seeing the glint of tears in his eyes and knew that, no matter how scary it was, everything would be OK. Because we had each other.

Forever and always.

Smiling, Dean pressed his hand gently to my belly.

"My son"


	33. They Were Eternal

**A/N - This one would have come out a bit sooner but I've been having trouble with FF... It won't let me log in, then when it does it won't let me upload anything... BAH-FREAKING-HUMBUG!! XD Anywho, enough of my wingeing, I hope you like this next chapter. Thanks for sticking with me for all this time, I adore you all! Please, feel free to let me know what you think.**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

Dawn blossomed as another day in the godforsaken Apocalypse was unleashed on the World, bringing out the Infected in droves as they continued their never-ending hunt for food and destruction. Every day they emerged from the shadows without fail. Every day, come rain, hail or shine they were out on the streets. They showed no signs of giving in, no sign of exhaustion. They were eternal.

They would outlive us all, wreaking havoc long after we had suffered the fate of extinction.

It was a depressing thought.

Everyone was in high spirits, joking and laughing even as we worked long into the afternoon to bring in our amazingly impressive haul. We had achieved so much in the last few days, and the ecstasy of accomplishment was strong enough to fuel us through the exhaustion that had settled deep in our bones.

Carrying another large box of clothes upstairs to our suite, I tried to ignore the ache that burned in my legs, wishing nothing more than to have the elevators working again. The hotel was the perfect place to set up our haven, but the inconvenience of not having a working set of elevators when you lived on the sixth floor was a pain in the ass. I huffed and puffed my way up the stairwell, focusing all of my thoughts on the light at the end of the long, dark tunnel.

Curling up in bed with Dean.

I carried the box into our suite, dropping it on the plush, floral sofa that Dean hated. He hated a lot of things about the Honeymoon suite. The thick white carpet that felt like walking across clouds; the fancy, patterned wallpaper; the ornate mahogany dining table; the large tapestries and framed oil paintings that lined the walls… He said they were too swanky for his tastes. I thought it was wonderful. It was a Hell of a lot nicer than the trailer park where I used to live with Millie.

"Jesus, Lu" Dean said, emerging from the bedroom and glowering at me. "I told you not to carry the heavy ones"

"Dean, I'm pregnant, not terminal" I laughed, sitting down on the sofa and falling back into the overstuffed cushions. Stretching, I allowed myself a moment's break to catch my breath. "Over protective is not a good look on you, Cowboy"

Letting out a breath, he sat down beside me, slinging an arm around my shoulder. He tilted me face to his and kissed me softly on the lips.

"I think he'll be a doctor" he said, pressing his hand to my belly. "Or an NFL star. Hell, maybe he'll be the next President" he laughed.

"I don't really think that's gonna be a possibility" I smiled, placing my hand over his, over our son. "The World's over and done with. There's no such thing as football or the Government. Which, come to think of it, is probably a good thing"

"Baby, there's nothing but possibilities" he said softly, kissing me again, with an intent that was all too obvious.

I returned the kiss eagerly, wrapping my arms around his neck as we fell back against the sofa. I felt his hand trail along the soft plains of my belly, reaching for my belt.

"Guys, seriously" Sam exclaimed from the open door, an amused grin playing on his lips. "Do you want to get caught or something?" He held Delia against his shoulder, gently rocking her back and forth.

"You could have closed the door and kept on walking" Dean groaned, sitting up and helping me straighten myself out. He didn't look at all embarrassed, while I was blushing furiously, fumbling with my belt.

"Ruth asked me to tell you that dinner's ready" Sam smiled. "She said we've done enough work for the day and it's time to get our grub on. Her words, not mine"

Dean turned to look at me, lust and desire burning bright in his green eyes as he took in my messy hair and flushed cheeks. I knew that look well, and I knew where it was going to lead.

"Tell her we'll be down in minute" he said over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off me. "And close the door on your way out, perve"

I heard Sam mutter 'gross' as he closed the door, and laughed as Dean took me into his arms.

"Just a minute?" I giggled as he traced his lips along the curve of my neck. "Is that all?"

"Not by a long shot, Princess" he said huskily, and I was his for the taking.

We finally made our way downstairs over a half hour later, joining the others at the dining table. Ruth had made mountains of pasta and vegies, and it smelled glorious.

"You sure took your sweet ass time" Orla said with a knowing smile.

"We were taking a nap" Dean shrugged. "Hey, Sammy, can you pass the peas"

"I sure miss taking naps" Manny sighed wistfully, and everybody laughed. Even Birdie, who had no idea what we were talking about, giggled like a schoolgirl.

We fell into an easy conversation, talking about things that no longer mattered. Movies and bands, Hollywood tarts and who they were sleeping with. It felt good to forget about our worries for even just a short while. To pretend that the World was how it used to be.

"Ah, Lu and I have an announcement" Dean said, clearing his throat after a lengthy conversation about the awesomeness of the _Lethal Weapon_ series.

Addie, nursing her daughter beneath the privacy of a bunny patterned baby blanket, smiled at me. She knew our announcement. Hell, she knew before I knew.

"Listen, babe" Orla said, slightly drunk from the bottle of wine she was sharing with Ruth and Father Michael. "We already know what you two were doing up there. You don't need to go into any details… Unless, of course, Manny is that desperate for a… for a _nap_ on his _lonesome _if you catch my drift"

I could only laugh.

This was my family now.

And while they were a colourful bunch, I loved them.

"No, but thanks for that image" Dean said, shaking his head. "We're uh… "We're having a baby"

There was a brief moment of silence as they took it in, then everyone erupted into cheers and words of congratulations.

Ruth, her cheeks flushed, opened another bottle of wine and poured everyone but myself a glass. I was sticking with lemonade.

"Here's to Dean and Lulu" she toasted, holding her glass up. Everyone followed suit, wishing us happiness and joy. "And to the safe arrival of their child"

And that was when the staccato of gunshots and inhuman screams echoed across the bright summer day, ruining our brief moment of peace.

Typical.


	34. Side By Side, Us Against The World

**A/N - Thanks for the reviews my faithful readers! I'm glad everyone found the new chapters OK, even with freaking FF being all screwed up and not sending alerts or anything! GRRRR... Oh well, seems to be all good now. I'm glad you liked the other chapters, and I hope you like this one. **

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

I could feel the thud of my heart in my ears as we stood at the gate to our underground parking lot, locking and loading with the impressive array of weaponry Dean had liberated from the Wal-Mart store. The guns glinted playfully in the dim lighting, all bright and brand new.

Outside, the squeal of tires punctuated the gunshots and screams that rang out through the streets.

More survivors had turned up, and now we were going to play the part of White Knights and risk our asses to save theirs.

It felt like the last few days had consisted of one crisis after another, and I was tired of the endless fighting, destruction and bloodshed. I was tired, and kind of hormonal. I just wanted to curl up in bed with my husband and do sinful things that would make even Manny blush.

Was it really too much to ask?

"Manny, you and Fletch head up to the birds nest" Dean ordered, slipping magazines into two strikingly silver handguns. "Cover us. Take out as many of the fuckers as you can"

"On it, boss" Fletch saluted as he and Manny raced up the flight of stairs to the birds nest, a balcony on the thirteenth floor that had been set up as a vantage point for sniper work. I wasn't nearly a good enough shot to be assigned to the nest.

"Ruthie, get the girls inside" he said, nodding at Birdie and Addie. They didn't need to be put at risk during this rescue mission.

Addie shot Sam an intense look, and mouthed the words 'I love you', cradling their child in her arms. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Come child" Ruth said softly, putting her arm around Birdies shoulders and leading her back into the lobby. Birdie looked back at me, her elfish features drawn and her eyes sad.

"You, too, Lu" Dean said to me, tossing the guns to Sam and reaching for his sawn-off. It was his weapon of choice. He looked at me with nothing but love and concern in his eyes.

But I was having none of it.

"No way, Cowboy" I said with a shake of my head, cocking the lever-action rifle in my hands. I felt like Sarah Conner, or a non Angelina Jolie Lara Croft. I preferred the game version, she was awesome.

He opened his mouth to argue, still going with the over-protective angle, but I silenced him with a well practiced glare. I knew he was just trying to protect me and the baby but this wasn't the time for it. People were out there, in mortal danger, and we had to save them.

With so few of us left now, we had to save anyone we could or there would be nothing worth fighting for.

He sighed, and nodded.

"You stay right beside me, you hear?" he said firmly, and I smiled up at him. Side by side, us against the World. "Orla, Zeek, you two stay back in case any of them break through, OK?"

"You got it" Zeek said, his voice hitching nervously. He looked almost comical hefting a large rifle in his adolescent arms. I wanted to hug him and tell him that everything would be OK.

But it wasn't exactly a promise that could be kept these days.

"Everyone ready?" Sam asked, moving to open the gate. He looked at each of us, a steely resolve on his face. He was ready to play the part of Hero, just like his brother. The Winchester boys were made of seriously tough stuff.

"Bless us, o lord" Father Michael said, his head bowed over his own rifle, his fingers playing with the silver crucifix that hung on a long chain around his neck. "Give us the strength to face this evil, to be triumphant in the face of danger, and to return victorious. Amen"

"Amen" Dean, the least religious person I knew, said, slipping his hand into mine and giving my fingers a comforting squeeze. With just his touch, he told me to be strong for him. For our son. "Let's get ready to rumble"

And with that, Sam pulled the gate open and the newest horror was unleashed on us.

An RV, smeared with blood, was barrelling towards us, followed by too many Infected to count. It ploughed through the growing mass without pause, running down body after body and leaving crumpled remains in its wake. It was a goddamn killing machine. A man, sporting a tangled mane of unruly white hair, hung out the window, firing into the crowd with a monstrous shotgun. He was whooping like a mad man, his battered face flecked with blood and brains. His eyes were wild and his mouth was gaping in a joyous grin. He looked like he was having the time of his life.

"Freaking lunatic" Dean muttered as we lifted our guns and ran headlong into the fray.

I took down two Infected effortlessly, ducking behind Dean to reload, then taking out another three. With adrenalin coursing through my veins, thicker than blood, I was a Warrior Princess. Dean felled several Infected in quick succession as we moved through the bodies of the dead that were sprawled around us. We worked together effortlessly, like a well oiled machine. One covering the other while they reloaded, both of us putting as many of these abominations out of their misery as we could.

Sam and Father Michael moved steadily beside us, and as a line we worked our way through the pulsing crowd. With each Infected we felled, it seemed like two more took their place. Their numbers continued to grow as more of them found their way into the onslaught, eager for a piece of the action.

"THROUGH THE GATE" Sam shouted, waving to the occupants of the RV. "NOW"

The driver, a young man with a head of dark curls, waved gratefully at us, bouncing the RV over the speed hump and driving into the parking garage with an ear splitting squeal of tires.

"Fall back" Dean said, seeing that our efforts were futile. "FALL BACK!"

We were outnumbered.

I turned to run back to the safety of the hotel, but tripped over the body of a fallen girl. She couldn't have been older than eight, maybe nine, her Miley Cyrus t-shirt shredded and stained.

"Son of a bitch" I muttered, stumbling but staying on my feet.

Suddenly, an Infected woman, probably a librarian in her former life judging by the demoure outfit, buried her fingers in my hair and pulled me back. She opened her mouth in a vicious snarl, revealing a set of rotting teeth and a nasty case of bad breath.

"Bite me, bitch" I said through gritted teeth, pressing the barrel of my gun to the underside of her chin.

I pulled the trigger and her head exploded in a burst of pulpy blood and gore.

"Lu, come on" Dean yelled, taking my hand and pulling me over the bodies. We sprinted into the parking garage, the Infected so close I thought I could feel their fetid breaths on the back of my neck. Together, Sam and Father Michael closed the gate against the approaching hoarde.

It shook as they hit it hard, screaming and yowling and clawing at the barrier, the only thing standing between us and them. They ignored the strands of razor wire that cut deep into their hands and arms as they beat against the gate with a desperate desire to break through and tear us apart.

"What do we do?" I yelled over the deafening sound of them. We were surrounded, and sooner or later, they were going to break through. I looked from Sam to Dean. "What do we do?"

But no one had the answer.

Outside, the Infected persisted, and showed no sign of stopping. They beat relentlessly against the boards, desperate to reach us.

With an ominous crack, one of the boards split clean down the middle.

We were fucked.


	35. Peachy, With A Side Of Keen

**A/N - Thanks for the reviews, glad you all liked the recent updates. I felt like they needed a little bit of action! To end everyone's speculation about which other characters might be turning up later on, I can definantly assure you that THREE will feature in this story later on. But I won't reveal who until the moments come. So, anyway, I hope you like this latest installment, and thank you so very much for following this story. **

**Blessed Be XOXOXO**

* * *

This was it.

After everything, this was how it ended.

After everything we had seen, everything we'd been through… After everything we had worked so hard for… After months of fighting and struggling to make it through each day and night, this was how it ended.

It wasn't even poetic.

All I wanted to do was throw my arms around Dean and tell him how much I loved him, how much I was thankful every day that he was in my life. If I had to die, and it sure as shit looked like we were about to, I wanted to die in his arms. After being rescued in his arms when all of this started, when the World was thrown into chaos and discord, it seemed fitting that we should go out the same way. We should go out, together, in a blaze of glory and Hellfire.

Together, forever and always.

"Dean" I whispered, looking up at him as the gate shook violently. His features were grim, and I opened my mouth to tell him everything I wanted to but my voice failed me. How did you say goodbye to the one person you loved more than anything in the whole World? What words could describe all the emotions that welled in your heart at the thought of losing them?

We would never meet our son, never hold him in our arms, never see the person he would become. Our World was coming to an end, and we would never get to meet our son.

A hand suddenly appeared through the largest of the cracks, grasping desperately at the shadows in a vain attempt to reach us. The fingers were filthy, the nails ragged and broken.

Dean reached for the machete tucked into his belt and pulled it out.

"It ain't over, baby. Not 'til the fat lady sings" he grimaced, slicing the hand cleanly from the wrist. It fell to the ground with a spout of blood, the fingers still twitching. "Sammy!"

Sam came up and pushed the end of his gun through the bloodstained crack and into the rabid horde. He fired until the clip clicked hollowly, signalling that is was empty, and the satisfying thump of a half dozen bodies hitting the ground was like music to our ears.

But it wasn't enough. It was nowhere near enough. The raging flock seemed to be growing large by the second. They were surrounding us, pressed tightly against the gate, and eventually it was going to give way. The Infected were going to swarm in like locusts and devastate everything in their path of destruction. They were going to ravage us, tear us limb from limb and bathe in our blood.

We were all fucked.

"Sorry 'bout this, folks" the wild, white-haired man said with a jovial grin, his monster of a gun propped against his shoulder. He leapt down from the RV, striding across to the gate with a sense of purpose in his step. "Appreciate your efforts, but I got it from here" He saluted, sharply, the dog tags around his neck clinking together. "Colonel Perry Salinger, at your service. Pardon me, little lady" he grinned, gently pushing me aside.

Whistling to himself, he pulled a small green object from the belt slung across his chest, and pulled a thin pin from the top. "Fire in the hole" he laughed, tossing it through the crack.

"Holy shit" I breathed. It was a freaking grenade. Who carried grenades around with them?

"EVERYBODY DOWN!" Dean yelled, pulling me into his arms as we hit the ground hard. He covered my body with his as all around us everybody dropped, anticipating the inevitable.

One horribly intense moment passed…

Then another…

Another…

Then the World around us came crashing down.

The explosion was phenomenal, so immense that the whole ground shook brutally, showering us with chunks of concrete as the roof above us split open. It blew the gate to pieces, sending it shooting furiously into the far wall and narrowly missing Dean's beloved Impala.

The sound of it, which I could only guess was close to that of a jet engine or Paris Hilton's attempt at singing, roared through the darkened confines of the parking garage, blowing out the windows of the RV and setting off the Hummers car alarm.

And with a haunting howl as smoke billowed around us, it was over.

And I was still alive.

We were all alive.

Slightly deaf, covered in dust and smoke, but alive.

"You OK?" Dean asked, propping himself up on his hands and gazing down at me with a worried expression etched on his face. Despite being mere inches away from me, he sounded distant through the piercing ringing in my ears.

"Peachy" I groaned as he helped me stand. My shoulder ached, and I could already feel the bruise forming. "With a side of keen" I winced.

"I love the smell of burnin' flesh in the evenin'" Colonel Salinger laughed, picking himself up and dusting off his weathered Army fatigues.

"You son of a bitch" Dean spat angrily, taking a firm grip on his shirt collar and shoving him roughly against the side of the RV. "You could have killed us. My wife is pregnant…"

"Dean, it's OK" I said, reaching down to take Zeek's hand in mine and pull him to his feet. A line of blood snaked from his nose and he had split his bottom lip. "We're OK. Well, a little bruised and battered, but we're OK. He kinda did good, Cowboy"

"Easy there, brother" Colonel Salinger grinned, not too concerned with Dean's outburst. Nothing seemed to faze this guy. He was amazingly stalwart. "I think I just saved the day" He untangled Dean's fingers from his shirt and stepped past him to survey the damage. He looked proud of himself.

There was an inhuman screech and an Infected, charred gruesomely from the blast, stumbled into the garage. Despite its horrific injuries, which would have bested a normal human, it sought us out for its carnal pleasures.

Colonel Salinger, who I was starting to think was a bit of a Hero himself, didn't flinch. He hefted his gun in one hand, aimed, and blew the Infected freak to Kingdom Come.

"So" he said, turning around to smile warmly at all of us. "You got anything to eat?"


	36. And With That, They Were Saved

**A/N - Glad everyone seems to be enjoying this story as much as I am! I love hearing from everyone so keep the reviews coming, they make my heart smile!!! Here's another chapter, didn't have to work today, and after a long ride on my horse (who's name is Winchester, but only because I had to rename him after his last owner forgot his racing name - how stupid!) I suddenly had the desire to just keep on writing. So, I hope you enjoy it. I have a feeling quite a few of you will like the little twist. It was always coming, I just had to set it up right, and this seemed like a good a time as any! XD Anyway, enough of my yammering, please enjoy!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

Colonel Perry Salinger and his travelling companions - husband and wife Miguel and Elena; British rock star Callum; and orphaned, seven year old twins Declan and Haylie - had been surviving for the last six months by living on the roof of a public library. With his survivalist knowledge, and the assortment of illegal weapons he had been avidly collecting since retiring from the Military, Colonel Salinger was a formidable player in the Apocalypse.

The six of them had been in a small county town about an hour from our hotel, all of them just passing through when the virus hit and thundered through like a tidal wave, wiping out the townsfolk within hours. They took refuge in the library in an attempt to ride out the storm, but, of course, the storm never let up. For months they had been doing just fine, setting up tents on the roof to avoid the risk of Infected's breaking through the flimsy defences, and raiding nearby shops for meagre supplies. Colonel Salinger said it had been kind of peaceful, kind of Zen, except for the constant threat of the Infected that milled around the library every time the sun rose. They had tried leaving but hadn't been able to find any working vehicles, and the nearest gas station was in the next town over, a trek that would have taken almost a day on foot.

So, they decided to stay, and wait for help that never came. Until the day came when they ran out of food and couldn't find anything that the Infected hadn't already ravaged. Desperate, worried about the twins, Colonel Salinger and Callum set off to find a working vehicle. After two nights away, almost delirious with hunger, they came across the RV, abandoned on the side of the road.

And with that, they were saved.

"We didn't even know you were here" Colonel, as he insisted we call him, said around a mouthful of tinned Irish Stew and a slice of Ruth's homemade bread, baked earlier in the day. "We had no idea anyone else had even survived until you guys came out with your guns a-blazing. And let me tell you, that sure was a sight for sore eyes" He smiled, his grey eyes glinting. For an old guy, in his late sixties, he was handsome in a Doc Brown-Mad Scientist kind of way. "Ruth, darlin', this is the finest meal I've had in months"

"It was nothing" Ruth blushed, happily fussing over our newest recruits. She had set herself upon them the instant they stepped through the door, ushering them to the table and practically forcing the food down their throats. She sat beside the twins, having taken them under her wing, making sure they ate every last thing she put in front of them. They were heart breakingly thin, and terribly shy. They hadn't said a word since they arrived. "Would you like some more?"

"Yes, please" Callum drawled in his Hackney accent. He said he was, or at least had been, in a band called _Pile Up,_ which I personally had never heard of, but apparently Orla had. She was sitting in the chair across from him, gazing at him with lusty eyes and playing with her hair seductively.

Smiling broadly, Ruth dished up another bowl of Winter Vegetable soup, and cut off two thick slices of bread for him. She was happiest when fussing over needy people, and having these desperate survivors turn up on our doorstep was like Heaven for her.

"So, do you know if there are any others nearby?" Elena asked. She was a petite Latina woman who only picked at a slice of bread, her eyes darting nervously between all of us. She wasn't exactly the most trusting person. Her husband, a burly guy who unsettled me slightly, was also quiet as he studied each of us with intense eyes.

"As far as we knew, we were the only group who had made it" Dean said, breaking an instant cold pack open and pressing it to my shoulder. It stung slightly, but relieved the deep ache.

I wondered if later, after many, many days of dreaming about it, I might be able to finally enjoy a nice bubble bath with my husband. It seemed like every time I tried to make it happen, another disaster arose. It was kind of getting on my nerves.

"I'm working on getting a radio signal out there" Zeek piped up nervously. "It'll probably take a while, but the aim is to find as many survivors as we can, and offer them a safe haven"

I smiled at him proudly, setting off a fiery blush that spread across his cheeks and down his neck.

I felt my bladder twinge, and winced. Pregnancy was not as fun and painless as I thought it would be. I was just thankful I hadn't been blessed with morning sickness. I was not looking forward to that.

"You OK?" Dean asked, pressing his hand to my belly, worried about the baby.

"Toilet break" I smiled, pushing the chair back from the table and rising stiffly to my feet. He moved to stand, but I put my hand on his shoulder to stop him. Having him follow me everywhere I went would get really old really soon. "I don't need an escort"

I left the group talking about looking for more survivors and headed across the lobby to the modified bathroom, tucked away out of view. Without running water, we had been using the rather archaic system of porcelain potties, which wasn't half as embarrassing as it used to be.

Doing my business quickly, I washed up with some water from a jug and left the small bathroom to return to the others, almost running into a figure standing in the doorway.

It was Miguel.

"Oh, sorry" I said, shrinking back from him. "I didn't see you there"

"He was disappointed by Sammy's bitch" Miguel said, his eyes suddenly glowing black. "It wasn't the vessel he was hoping for"

My heart stopped and, for a moment, I struggled to find my breath. A Demon. A Demon who had me cornered.

"What do you want with my baby?" I whispered, wrapping my arms around my belly. I knew I should scream, yell, sing at the top of my lungs, anything to alert the others, but I couldn't. I was afraid he would hurt my son.

He sneered at me, his hand snaking out to brush his fingers across my cheek, licking his lips vilely. Disgusted, I took a step back into the bathroom. Not the best idea.

"This child will be a King" Miguel said, his voice low and threatening as he backed me further into the bathroom. "He'll will take your son as a vessel and bring this pitiful excuse of a World to it's knees" He laughed evilly. "And, sweetness? You can't stop him"

"But I can" a husky, unfamiliar voice called. The stranger, appearing with what sounded like the fluttering of wings, pressed his hand to Miguel's head, and in an instant, the Demon possessing him was exorcised in a flash of blinding light. There was no sound as Miguel's lifeless body dropped to the floor.

"Holy shit" I breathed, falling to my knees and putting my fingers to Miguel's neck. There was a pulse.

He was alive.

"He will be alright" the stranger, a broad shouldered man with dark hair and smouldering eyes, said, looking down at us. His handsome face betrayed no emotion.

"I… I…" I breathed, standing and regarding this man. There was something impressive about him, something that made me feel safe despite the Demon's ominous words. If this guy hadn't turned up, who the Hell knew what would have happened to me and my son. "Thank you. I think you just saved my life"

He gave a slight nod of his head, but said nothing. He was the strong, silent type from the looks of it. He wore a crisp white shirt and a pair of white suit pants. There was something ethereal about him.

"Who are you?" I asked. "And where the Hell did you come from?"

"I am here to protect your child. Your son" he answered. "And I am not from Hell. Far from it, actually"

"So, you're a guardian angel?" I said with a slight laugh.

"Something like that" His voice was even, flat. He was almost sombre, expressing no emotion at all. "The Winchester brothers are familiar with me. Tell Dean I said... Hello" He turned to leave.

"Wait" I called. "I don't even know you're name"

He stopped and glanced back over his shoulder at me, his dark eyes making me weak in the knees.

"It's Castiel"

And with out another word, he disappeared.


	37. Understatement Of The Year

**A/N - Thanks for all your reviews, glad you liked the return of our favourite Angel. Of course I had to bring him into it! XD Anyway, I hope you like this new chapter, and that you keep blessing me with your stunning words! Enjoy!!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

I stood there, speechless.

Castiel.

The _Angel_.

I knew about him only from the stories Dean told me when the sun was highest in the sky, and we were hiding out in an office building, or a rundown farmhouse, waiting for the relief of darkness. Castiel, the agent of God himself, had pulled Dean from the deepest, darkest pit of Hell and tried to help the brothers stop Lilith from opening the 66 Seals to unleash Lucifer. After the outbreak, Dean figured that the Angel had either been destroyed, or exiled back to Heaven.

But he was still here. And he had been entrusted with protecting our child, our son.

God was on our side.

For a person who had never even believed that the Big Man existed, that realisation was strangely comforting. It also scared the living shit out of me. The Big Man and the Dark Lord were both vying for my child. God and Lucifer.

Our child hadn't even been born yet and already he was playing a part in the Apocalypse.

I clutched my belly, scared for my child.

He would never have a normal life.

"Holy Hell" Colonel exclaimed, coming around the corner and seeing Miguel's unconscious form on the floor. "What did you do to him?"

"Dean!" I yelled, running back into the lobby. The shit had really hit the fan. "Dean!"

He was up from the table in a flash, pulling a gun from his belt.

"Lu?" he called, his brow furrowed with concern. "Baby, what is it?"

"Castiel" I breathed.

"What?" He took a step back. "The son of a bitch is alive?" A hint of a smile played on his lips.

"Guys, I think we need some medical assistance" Colonel said, supporting Miguel as he carried him into the lobby and set him down in one of the chairs. The burly man had come to, but was still looking slightly out of it.

"MIGUEL!" Elena screamed, rushing to her husbands side. "What did you do to him?" she spat at me, a fiery hatred burning in her dark brown eyes.

"He was possessed…" I started, feeling guilty for something that wasn't even my fault.

Dean's expression suddenly turned hard. He spun around to glare at the newest members of our family. We had opened our arms to them without question, not even thinking about what we were getting ourselves into. It was not a smart move on our part.

"Son of a…" he muttered viciously, striding angrily across to the backroom, slamming the door behind him. We waited anxiously until he finally came out with a large flask of holy water and five glass tumblers, setting them down on the table.

"Dean?" Sam frowned, leaning forward in his chair.

Beside him, Addie looked between the brothers with a confused expression. She held Delia close to her, protecting her daughter from the troubles around us.

"They drink" Dean said firmly, pouring the holy water into the glasses and pointing at Colonel, Elena, Callum and the twins.

"It that really necessary?" Father Michael questioned, his hands on the twins' shoulders. "They're just children"

"What are we drinking?" Callum asked, holding him hand up like a student.

"We let them in to our home without even thinking about the risks" Dean said, ignoring him. "Lu is pregnant, Addie has just had a baby, and we let a freaking demon into our home. If we want to find other survivors, we have to be practical about it. They drink"

"What is a glass of water gonna do?" Colonel frowned, looking from Dean to the holy water. "You're not making a lot of sense there, brother"

"It's holy water" Sam explained. "We need to see if any of you are… possessed"

"Possessed by what?"

"A demon" Sam said, his face serious, but somewhat apologetic.

"You're shittin' me" Callum laughed. "We got freakin' zombies prancing' around outside, and you all are playing Exorcist?"

"Dude, they speak the truth" Zeek said. "This shit is real"

"Just drink" Dean ordered, not in the mood for anyone's crap.

"Bottom's up" Callum shrugged, downing the holy water in a single gulp.

I held my breath, waiting for the screaming and convulsing that would signal the presence of a demon holding the Brits wiry body hostage.

But he only belched.

"One down" Dean murmured, looking across at Colonel and Elena.

"I still think y'all are a bunch of whack's , but, each to their own, man" Colonel said, drinking the holy water, and placing the glass on the table. "Mmm… Holy"

Everyone turned to Elena, clutching her husbands hands in her own.

Reluctantly, she drank, her hate filled glare never leaving me. She still blamed me for what had happened to her Miguel, and it didn't look like we'd be friends anytime soon.

That left the twins.

"Come on, children" Ruth said gently. She knew we had to do it, but she was by no means happy about it. Not a one of us was happy that we had to do this to children. It was disturbing, and it felt wrong.

Declan reached out for the glass, and it looked gigantic in his tiny fingers. He looked up at Ruth, then drank, spilling a few drops down his chin. Finishing, he wiped his sleeve across his lips.

"Did I do good?" he asked Ruth, his big blue eyes glinting.

"You did real good, honey" Ruth smiled, smoothing his blonde hair back from his face.

Haylie took the glass into her hands and brought it to her lips, looking at us over the top.

"That's it, sweetie" Ruth encouraged.

Suddenly, Haylie grinned, holding the glass out and pouring the water to the floor. Her eyes flashed black.

Elena screamed.

Colonel cursed.

And little Declan burst into frightened tears, burying his face in Ruth's arms.

Dean reached for her and forced her to the ground, pinning her shoulders down forcibly. She didn't put up a fight, she only just laughed. An evil cackle that chilled me to the bone.

"Dean, my boy" she said in a voice that should never be spoken from a child's lips. "He's coming for your son, handsome. He's gonna rip that bastard child from your whore's belly, and she'll die with your name on her lips"

"Sammy!" Dean yelled, his tone venomous.

Sam moved quickly to stand over them, reciting something in Latin and splashing possessed Haylie's body with holy water. Her flesh smoked where the drops hit her, and she writhed in pain.

"As much as I'd love to stay and chat" she said suddenly, through gritted. "But, you know what they say; places to go, souls to destroy. Be seeing you soon, pretty boys" She threw her head back, opening her mouth in a chilling scream as a thick cloud of vile black smoke burst from between her lips. It hung in the air for a moment, almost as though it was gloating, then disappeared through a vent in the roof.

"What in the name of Heck was that?" Colonel exclaimed, his face strikingly pale. He lowered himself shakily into one of the chairs, running his fingers through his wild mane of hair.

"That…" Dean started, wiping sweat from his forehead. "… was a demon. And if what it said was true, we're pretty much screwed"

That was the understatement of the year.


	38. Could I Save Myself?

**A/N - Couldn't go to bed until I'd written this, it was playing so vividly in my mind. Anywho, hope you all like it!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXO**

* * *

Darkness descended once more, but instead of relief, it brought about confusion and countless questions begging to be answered. Only minutes had passed, but the World had been turned upside down and flipped on its ass. They knew we were here, and they wanted my son.

What the Hell were we going to do?

If dealing with Infected people who craved death and destruction wasn't enough, now demons and Lucifer, the freaking Prince of Darkness, had been thrown into the mix, and everyone was feeling rightfully uneasy. The dim light at the end of the eternally long tunnel had fizzed out, plunging us into a deep, dark despair.

Our hope was hanging by the frailest of threads.

Could we really survive this? Could I save my son?

Could I save myself?

Colonel and Father Michael volunteered to put up a temporary gate across the gaping entrance of the garage to prevent the Infected from finding their way into our haven when tomorrow came. It wouldn't be pretty, and it wouldn't be practical, but it would serve its purpose and keep us safe.

Ruth set Elena and Miguel, who was recovering quickly from his possession, and Callum up in suites on the second floor, apologising for not having them in entirely liveable conditions. But, given that they had spent months living in tents on a roof, they were over the moon to be given a proper bed, and weren't too concerned with a bit of dust and stale air. She took Declan and Haylie, who had fallen into an almost comatose stupor after the demon had wrenched itself from her preadolescent body, up to her own suite. That they would stay with her was obvious, and Elena seemed almost relieved to relinquish her responsibility. I didn't think she had much of a maternal side.

Manny, Fletch, Orla and Zeek had also retired to bed, beyond tired from everything that had happened over the last day. I couldn't blame them for wanting to escape, for even just a few hours.

Maybe things would look better in the morning.

And maybe Unicorns would fly across the sky, shooting rainbows out their ass.

"So, what are we going to do?" Addie asked softly, gazing down at her daughter, who slept peacefully in her arms. "I mean, things are seriously fucked up. But there's gotta be something we can do… Right?" She glanced up expectantly at Sam, her eyes begging him for an answer.

With his arm slung around her shoulder, he could only give her a sad smile.

"What did Cass say?" Dean asked, pouring himself another tumbler of Manny's Scotch. It was his fourth in the last fifteen minutes and I was starting to worry about him. Drinking himself senseless wasn't going to help us, no matter how much better it made him feel.

"That he's going to protect our son" I answered softly, my hands resting across my belly. I imagined the he could feel my touch, that he was reaching out for me. Would I ever get to hold him in my arms? "And also, he wanted me to pass on… Hello"

"Smartass" Dean laughed sadly into his drink. He turned his head to look at me, and the sorrow and fear in his green eyes broke my heart into a million pieces. He was scared for our child. "That was it? He didn't mention anything else?"

"No" I smiled softly, lacing my fingers with his. "It didn't look like he wanted to hang around for tea and cookies. But it's good knowing he's there, right? If we have him and the Big Man on our side, maybe it won't be so bad"

No one said anything, but that was answer enough for me.

We were fucked, and there was no way around it.

"I think we should all get some sleep" Addie said after a long, mournful silence. "I don't know about you all, but I'm pretty beat"

"Yeah" Dean said, knocking back the Scotch, and placing the glass upside down on the table. "Not much more we can do tonight"

We walked up to the sixth floor together, then bid Addie, Sam and their daughter goodnight before going our separate ways. I watched them with the baby, and wondered if that would ever be Dean and me. Would we ever get to enjoy our son? Would we ever get to hold him, to watch him sleep, to count his fingers and toes and see just how perfect he was?

Would we ever get to tell him we loved him?

I walked across to our bed, slipping out of my clothes and pulling on a Snoopy nightgown that reached past my knees, while Dean lit several candles on the dresser. Sighing, I let my hair down and ran my fingers through my curls, catching sight of a white crib in the corner of our bedroom. It had been fitted with crisp white sheets that had tiny blue teddy bears printed across it, and stuffed animals of all colours and sizes had been piled in the top corner.

It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.

"Dean" I breathed, walking across to where it stood, perfect and gleaming in the candle light.

"Oh, yeah" he smiled sheepishly, shrugging out of his clothes. "I know it's too early, and it's probably bad luck or something, but…"

"No" I said, turning my head to smile at him through the tears welling in my eyes. "It's perfect"

He came to me, wrapping his arms around me waist and holding me tightly against himself.

Together, we gazed down at the crib, both trying our hardest to not think about the danger we faced. About the danger that had been forced on our son before he had even taken his first breath.

"I was thinking we could name him John" I said softly, leaning my head against Dean's shoulder, taking comfort in his touch. "After your dad"

"I'd uh…" he cleared his throat emotionally, and I could feel the heat of his tears against my neck. "I'd like that"

Turning in his arms, I leaned in to kiss him. I could taste the Scotch on his lips.

"We're gonna be OK" I said, wiping the tears from his cheeks with my fingers. "Things seem really shitty right now, but we still have each other, and that's the main thing"

"What if…" he started sadly, pressing his forehead to mine. "What if I can't save him? What if I can't save you?"

"Baby, you're my Hero" I smiled, cradling his face in my hands and holding his gaze. "If there's anyone who can save the day, it's you. I love you, and I believe in you. You're my knight in shimmering armour, remember?"

Smiling, he kissed me hungrily, and for the next few hours, we let ourselves forget about everything but how much we loved each other, and our son.

And later, when we had fallen asleep in each other's arms, neither of us saw the Angel who stood in the corner of our room, watching us as we dreamed.

And we didn't see the malicious smile stretched across his dark, ominous features.


	39. Like Sands Through The Hour Glass

**A/N - Thanks for the reviews my ever lovely fans! I adore hearing from you with each chapter published. This one is sort of a bit of a filler, just to get things moving along, but the fluffiness at the end was fun to write. I hope to enjoy, and I look forward to hearing from you all soon! **

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

The next few weeks passed in a blur, each day bleeding lazily into night, then bubbling into the next day, again and again as we put ourselves to work. For months we had lived one day to the next, waiting for the salvation that never came. We had been expecting Homeland Security, or the Marines. Even Chuck Norris would have been a welcome Hero in our time of need. We wanted only one thing; big guys with big guns and a solution to the horrors that had ravaged the nation and sent the human race to the verge of extinction.

But, like sands through the hour glass and all that shit, it never came. And instead of waiting, we focused on making it through each day and each night. Surviving as best we could while desperately grasping at whispery tendrils of hope that kept falling through our fingers.

We had made it this far by the skin of our teeth, and now that we were opening the doors of our haven to fellow survivors, and hoping to welcome more, we realised that we had a lot of work to do. We had to plan and prepare, make lists and maps and all that survivalist crap. Our haul from Wal-Mart was impressive, but it wouldn't last for long. Not with our newest recruits. Not when we planned on bringing more people into this hotel.

We had work to do, and we all had our parts to play.

Sam, Dean, Manny and Colonel fronted what they liked to call the Raiders of the Apocalypse. They went out each night, first taking more supplies from the Wal-Mart until nothing but the skeletal remains were left standing, then searching for other places of interest. They became a real boys club, swapping War stories and toasting the spoils of their plundering each morning with Scotch, or Whiskey. Dean never came out and said that I wasn't allowed to join them, but it was strongly implied. With everything that had gone on over the last few weeks, I wasn't about to argue. I was more than happy to stay home, pregnant and barefoot in the kitchen… Or whatever it was they sang about in lovelorn Country & Western songs.

Elena and Miguel, who had run a successful produce farm in Ohio, set up a simple but remarkable vegetable patch in the hotel's lavish atrium. They cleared the massive square garden of shrubs and flowers slowly dying of neglect, showing no mercy as they yanked them out by the roots, and planted potatoes, lettuce, carrots, pumpkins, tomatoes and beans. In a few short months it would yield a bountiful harvest, and we would be able to enjoy fresh vegetables for the first time in too long to remember. I think I was more excited about that than I was for anything else.

Probably the most important was what Zeek and Fletch were working on. They had set up shop at the reception desk, covering the counter with torn apart radios and gadgets that I wouldn't be able to identify even if my life depended on it, working on getting a radio signal into the wild dead yonder. Young Zeek, known as Zeek the Geek at his high school before those bullies had been torn to pieces, was a Wizard when it came to technology and electronics. He fused wires together, and screwed screws into little nooks and crannies, and promised that we would be live on the air before we knew it. Fletch took up position of sidekick, somewhat awed at Zeek's know-how, and together they worked their magic.

Unfortunately, the poor little guy still blushed every time I smiled at him. It was something we'd have to work on.

Ruth and Orla became the den mothers of our ragtag group. They cooked meals, washed our clothes, cleaned and prepared rooms for future fighters we hoped to add to our family, and mothered us without a single word of complaint. I never would have imagined that Orla would be content doing our dirty work, but she said she found it calming, almost meditative, like yoga or smoking pot. Her life had been far from easy before the Virus, and I think she enjoyed the mundane tasks of this new World.

Father Michael charged himself with caring for the children. He acted as guardian, mentor, and teacher for Birdie, Declan and Haylie. He sat them down in the lobby and taught them History, and Science, and English Literature. He told them about Native Americans, and the valiant warriors of Ancient Sparta. He showed them how different chemicals would react, and how to turn fire into water. He taught them Shakespeare, and read to them from the Harry Potter books. They were his flock, and he was their Shepherd, leading them towards the light at the end of the tunnel.

Haylie had retreated into herself since the demon stole her voice and tainted her innocence. Traumatized by the possession, she suffered terrifying nightmares that seized her during the harsh light of day. She would wake violently, crying and screaming for her mother, falling to sleep only after Ruth spent hours soothing her with lullaby after lullaby.

Not to be outdone by everyone's valiant efforts, Addie took it upon herself to teach Callum and myself what she called 'The Way Of The Nurse'. It was highly unlikely that we would come across a doctor in the new World, they had probably been the first to go when the virus hit and those showing symptoms had been whisked straight to the hospital. We needed more people that knew how to treat cuts and scrapes and upset tummies. It was brutal, and Addie never let up with the lectures and demonstrations, drilling each lesson into us over and over again until we knew it all by heart. I had never worked so hard in my life to learn how to suture a wound, and treat an infection, and resuscitate someone who was knocking at Death's door. She playfully joked that I could skip the midwife lesson because I was an old hand at delivering babies.

And, despite his almost cocky behaviour, Callum proved to be an apt pupil. He listened intently to everything Addie had to say, only making inappropriate observations and crude innuendo's once or twice a day. I was actually starting to like him. His British humour amused me.

Everyone put in the hard yards, working long hours until our backs ached and our brains turned to something that resembled jell-o. We put our heads down and our bums up, hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

These days, that was our mantra.

I barely saw Dean during those weeks. It was only when the sun rose and we could finally crawl into bed, exhausted, that we were able so spend any time together. We lived for those moments, sometimes staying up for hours just to talk, like we had done during the first days. We talked about the work we were doing, and how we hoped that our efforts wouldn't be wasted. We talked about what the future might hold, and if things would ever go back to the way we were.

But mostly, we talked about our son.

We tried to picture what he would look like. If he would have Dean's piercing green eyes, or my fiery red hair. If his lips would curve like Dean's when he smiled, or if he'd be blessed with my porcelain complexion. We wondered what he would be like, who he would be when he grew up. If he would like classic rock like Dean, or epic Stephen King novels like me. We spent hours planning a future for him, trying not to let our fear overwhelm us at the thought of Lucifers involvement.

After the surprise appearance of two demons in our midst, we had taken precautions to prevent it from happening again. We salted the entry points, painted protection symbols on the walls, and fitted everyone with anti-possession amulets.

For the safety of our son, we took no risks.

One morning, just as the sun was peaking over the horizon and another long night had finally come to an end, Dean led me into our bathroom with my eyes covered.

"Baby, what on Earth is going on?" I asked, attempting to stifle a yawn. I loved it when he surprised me, but I had just spent the night studying the two-hundred and six bones in the human body and all I could think about was sleep.

"Do you know what today is?" he asked, carefully guiding me through the maze of dirty clothes we hadn't had the energy to wash. We had enough clothes to last us a lifetime, having filled the walk-in-robe and dresser, and there was more pressing matters at hand than laundry.

"Thanksgiving?" I guessed. Truth was, I didn't even have any idea as to what day of the week it was. I didn't even know what month we were in. After all this time running and fighting, I had lost all track of time, focused only on surviving the days and living the nights.

"No" Dean laughed, removing his hands from my eyes and revealing a scene that actually stopped my heart and stole my breath.

A bubble bath.

A bubble bath that steamed from actual hot water, and smelled like lavender and cherry blossoms. Tiny tea lights lined the counter, casting shadows across the pale walls.

It was the most romantic thing I had ever seen.

"Oh…my…god…" I breathed, wondering for a brief moment if I was dreaming. If this was nothing more than a cruel mirage, toying with my mind. I had been wanting, craving, one of these for so long, and every time I had even considered allowing myself the pleasure of actually enjoying one, something got in the way.

But, here it was. And, honest to God, it was real.

It was breath taking.

"I don't understand" I said, turning to look at Dean, who was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "Why is today so special?"

"And they say men are useless when it comes to dates" he scoffed, unbuttoning the flannel shirt I wore and pushing it from my shoulders. "Today, my darling wife, is our anniversary. We have been married for exactly one month today"

"One month?" I smiled as he unbuttoned my belt, pulling it from the loops with a flourish and letting it drop to the floor. "Has it been a whole month already?"

"Time flies when you're having fun, Princess" he said with a wicked grin, pulling me in for a kiss that worked its way down into the deepest pits of my belly.

I kissed him back, eagerly helping him out of his t-shirt, craving the feel of his warm skin against mine.

A sudden knock at the door interrupted us.

"Occupied" Dean growled as I ran my fingers along the length of his zipper, teasing him playfully.

"Dean, I think you need to come downstairs" came Sam's apologetic voice. He knew what he was interrupting, and he rightly felt guilty about it.

"We're kinda busy in here" I called.

"Zeek's just made contact with another survivors group"

And with those words, any notion of enjoying this glorious bath went right out the goddamn window.

Son.

Of.

A.

Bitch.


	40. A Storm's Coming

**A/N - Sorry it took so long to update, I went away for a horse-ey weekend! We packed our saddle bags and rode off into the sunset to camp out in the beautiful Outback! Ah, it was glorious! So, anywho, I hope you like the new chapter, and that you all leave your ever-welcome words of kindness! XD Look forward to hearing from you!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

There was six of them.

Six more people in the piece of shit Apocalypse that had survived against all odds.

It was heartening, and exciting.

It felt like a new beginning. A new beginning that meant there was still hope for us yet.

Eighteen of them had made it through the chaos and mayhem of the First Days, fighting against the rolling wave of horror to hide out in a roadhouse. It took them only days to understand the nature of the virus and the movements of the Infected. They moved at night, working their way steadily up the east coast, spending the daylight hours in abandoned houses when the Infected came out to play. They thought they were safe. The Infected didn't come out at night, the only familiar trait that had remained after the virus stole their humanity, and they thought they'd be safe under the cover of darkness.

They were wrong, such was the way of this new World.

They lost their first to suicide three days after the Outbreak. An elderly man named Hector, who had watched three infected preschoolers brutalise his beloved wife of fifty years, had found a little orange bottle of sleeping pills in one of the houses. After everyone else had gone to bed, he swallowed every last tiny white pill and never woke up, the attraction of death more appealing than the Post Apocalyptic World we had been thrown into.

The next was a young woman, a grade school teacher from Oklahoma, run down by a hot red convertible driven by a highly inebriated, pubescent punk. He didn't even slow down. He just screamed out 'BITCH!' and continued on his merry way without looking back. The Infected weren't the only ones who had lost their conscience.

Others had fallen victim to injuries and accidents, medical emergencies that couldn't be solved with sleep and painkillers, and the swirling black void of despair that swallowed them whole and left only the escape of suicide.

Six months later, only six of them remained.

But six was better than none.

They were holed up in a tiny police station, slowly starving to death in a town that had been devastated by the Infected, leaving nothing but wreck and ruin. Still, they were reluctant to accept our offer of a safe haven. They had been through so much, and had lost so many, and just like Fox Mulder used to warn people, they trusted no one.

Despite their dire situation, it had taken them almost an hour to answer Zeek's call. Understandably, they were wary of our motives.

"It ain't that we couldn't use the help" Ted Tomkins, former Fire Chief of Denly, South Carolina and current leader of this miserable little group of survivors, said through the static of the radio connection. "It's just… How can we trust y'all ain't gonna gut us like a catfish? It's a dangerous World out there, partner, you'll have to forgive our foot draggin'"

"You're just gonna have to trust us here, Ted" Dean answered, scratching his fingers along the curve of his unshaven jaw. "I can't say we're the uh… the finest group, but we're honest. We have a shelter, we have weapons… Ted, we have food. Enough food to feed China"

It was the mention of food that eventually swayed him. Apparently, they hadn't eaten for a fair while and were getting weaker as each day dragged by. They didn't have any other choice if they wanted to make it.

They had to take the risk and trust us.

"OK" Ted said with a long, weary sigh.

"You got yourself a car, Ted?" Dean asked, leaning back against the reception counter. I could see the gears working furiously in his head. He was already planning how to get out to them, how to swoop in and whisk them away to safety.

He enjoyed being the Hero.

And it was a look that suited him.

"We'll come for you" he said, glancing across at Sam, Manny and Colonel. Sitting side by side, they looked like the Three Wise Men. Or the Three Stooges. "As soon as night falls, we'll come for you, OK? Get your things together, my friend, tomorrow you'll go to sleep with full bellies"

"Better make it fast" Ted coughed, a booming wet cough that did not bode well for him. "We got a little one here and he ain't doing too good"

"We'll be coming as fast as we can" Dean said softly. What good would we be if we arrived too late. "You just hold on, Ted, OK? Just hold on"

He put the mouthpiece down, brushing his fingers through his hair as he regarded the rest of us. He looked tired, just like we all did, but there was hope glinting in his striking green eyes.

"You did good" he said to Zeek and Fletch, flashing them his Hollywood smile. "You did real good. Think you can get more?"

"Hell yeah we can" Zeek grinned, slapping Fletch a high-five. They were both beaming with pride, and too say that they were pleased with themselves was an understatement.

But it was well deserved. They had just given us enough hope to last a lifetime.

We finally had a chance to make a difference, to take this Apocalypse by the balls and fight back with a fiery vengeance.

But for now, while the day was still burning, the only thing we could do was wait.

It was frustrating.

"So much for our anniversary" I sighed, moving to stand beside Dean, watching as Manny produced a bottle of Scotch and happily poured a round for everyone. Even Zeek, five long years from the legal age limit, sipped warily at the hard liquor. There were no laws in this new World.

"We'll celebrate later, trust me" Dean grinned, and there was a promise in his voice that set my flesh alight with goosebumps. "Right now though, baby, I gotta do my thing"

"Always the Hero" I laughed, leaning in to press my lips gently against his. "Don't take too long, Cowboy. I'm all hormonal, and can't be held responsible for my actions if you don't get your sweet ass into bed before I fall asleep"

"We've just gotta plan this thing out" he said apologetically, brushing a loose curl from my face. "You go on up and get comfortable, and I promise I'll be up before you know it"

Smiling, I kissed him again, and headed upstairs to our suite with a jar of pickled gherkins tucked under my arm. They had been my only craving so far, which according to Addie, was pretty tame. She had craved marshmallows smothered with mustard, and had driven Sam mad until he was able to find the two ingredients that would satiate her burning desires.

He joked that he still had nightmares about it.

Upstairs, the bath had gone tepid, and the cloud of white bubbles had disappeared, leaving behind a tub of murky water. I pulled the plug and watched the water swirl down the drain. It was depressing. I wondered if I would ever get to enjoy the bubble bath I had been craving for so long.

Back in the bedroom, I was surprised, but not alarmed, to find Castiel standing at the window, gazing down at the Infected stumbling through the streets below. The sunlight played across his handsome features, and he truly looked Angelic.

I walked across to the window, standing beside Castiel and looking down at what remained of the World. Several Infected's moved slowly down the street in single file, like a short, creepy conga line.

"They're not human anymore" he mused softly. "They're like wolves in sheep's clothing. Hiding behind those grotesque masks"

"Is there an end to it?" I asked, taking a gherkin from the jar and nibbling on it thoughtfully. The stark bitterness of the vinegar tickled my tastebuds like nothing else could. "Will things ever go back to the way they were?"

"That is a question I cannot answer" he said, looking across at me with one eyebrow raised.

"Want one?" I offered the jar to him.

He shook his head, grimacing.

I wondered if Angels ever got cravings. If they ever wanted something so badly it was almost like a physical pain. I didn't just want these gherkins, I needed them. I needed them like fish needed water.

Did Angels ever feel that way? Were they capable of such human emotions?

Reaching into the jar for another gherkins, I turned to face Castiel, intent on asking him the hundreds of questions that pulsed through my mind. I wanted to know about him, about his kind.

With all the horror and bloodshed in the World, it was nice to know that something as pure and good as Angels existed.

"A storm's coming" he sighed before I could speak.

"Tell me about it" I laughed harshly, pressing my hand to my belly where my son, no bigger than a jellybean, was nestled, safe for the time being. I wanted to keep him there forever. To keep him from the harshness of this World.

"No" Castiel said awkwardly, pointing out the window to where an ugly black cloud was forming on the horizon. "An actual storm"

"Oh" I whispered, setting the jar down on the bedside table, unable to stomach anymore. I fought against the sudden wave of nausea that burned in the back of my throat.

Just the thought of the dark horrors my son would face was enough to send me spiralling into the black void of despair that threatened to swallow me whole. I was so scared that it actually hurt my heart.

Feeling the comforting weight of a hand on my shoulder, I looked up at Castiel. For a moment, I thought I saw a glimpse of compassion in his dark, smouldering eyes.

"What does he want with my son?" I asked, my lips trembling.

"I don't know" he said.

"Can we save him?" I breathed, a sob hitching my voice.

His answer almost broke me.

"I don't know"


	41. A Relentless Tempest

**A/N - A-WOO-HOO!!! We're at 41 Chapters, people! Man, no wonder I'm so tired XD!!! Glad you liked the last chapter, and fear not, your questions will be answered in given time! Patience, grasshoppers! XD! So... hope you like this one, things are gonna get bumpy, so hold on to your sets, gentle viewers! Please, enjoy!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX(And yes, I had a fan-freaking-tastic time camping out with the gals and our magnificent steeds! Nothing like waking up at dawn and going for a bareback gallop along the beach, trying to avoid the crocodiles sunbathing on the shore! Gotta love the Territory!)**

* * *

The storm hit late in the afternoon and showed no sign of letting up before the new day dawned. It was a relentless tempest. A raging fury thundering across the city with an ominous threat echoing in the rolling below that roared through the darkness.

Lashing rain pounded viciously against the window, and a haunting snarl of wind howled mournfully through the hotel.

There was something out there. Something hidden behind the fury of the storm that sent a chilling shiver down the length of my spine. I could feel it, like an electrical current pulsing through the air. Nausea churned deep in my belly, but it wasn't morning sickness. I almost wished it was.

Something was coming.

Something big. Something bad.

I didn't know what it was, but it frightened me.

I did not want anyone, especially Dean, going out in it. It wasn't safe. And while nothing in the new World was safe anymore, this felt different. It felt worse. Hollow and malevolent.

Whatever it was, it was coming.

And it was going to change everything.

Beside me, Dean slept peacefully with his face pressed into the pillows, snoring softly. His arm was draped across my waist, cradling the barely existent swell of my belly while I gazed out the window at the furious squall. He could sleep through anything. I envied him for that.

A sudden flash of lightning lit up the night sky, followed by a booming crack of thunder that sounded like a shotgun exploding over our heads.

Dean woke with a start, calling my name and instinctively tightening his arm around my waist.

"I'm OK" I said, turning to face him, brushing my fingers through his tousled hair. Concern burned bright in his eyes. He looked adorable.

"It looks wild out there" he sighed, falling back against the pillows and pulling me tighter against himself. He was warm, comforting. He felt more like coming home than the trailer I had lived in before the virus ever did. I wanted to stay in his arms forever.

Outside, the malicious storm raged.

And the queasy feeling in my stomach kicked it up a notch, burning in the back of my throat.

"I don't want you to go out there" I said, propping myself up on my elbows and looking down at him.

"What?" he smiled, brushing the tangle of curls from my face. "You know I have to. Ted and the others need our help"

"Don't go tonight" I pleaded, lacing fingers with his. "Wait until the storm's passed. Go tomorrow night"

"Baby, they don't have time" he said gently, a frown shadowing his features. "What's got you all worked up?"

I turned my head to look out the window where the darkness seemed to throb with fury and an ill-omened menace.

"It doesn't look safe" I whispered. "It just looks… It feels wrong. I don't want you going out there. Please"

"I have to" he said. "You know we have to do this. They need us"

The handheld radio on the nightstand gave a sudden burst of static and Colonel's voice filled the room.

"You awake, brother? We're just about ready to head out"

Sighing, Dean reached across for the radio and brought it to his mouth.

"Yeah, I'm heading down now"

"See you soon"

Dean set the radio down and looked across at me. He smiled warmly, and I knew he was trying to put my mind at ease. He was sweet that way. But not even his smile, usually enough to melt my heart and turn my knees to jell-o, was enough to quell the fear and apprehension that haunted me.

"It's gonna be OK" he said, leaning in to press his lips firmly against mine. "You have to trust me"

And I did. I trusted him with all my heart and soul. I trusted him with my life, and the life of our son.

But I didn't trust whatever was out there, lurking in the ominous darkness. Waiting. Biding it's time.

He kissed me again and slipped out of bed, dressing in a pair of jeans and a Van Halen t-shirt. Shrugging on his jacket, he looked down at me and smiled.

"I love you" he said, just as he had done everyday since our informal wedding. Just the same as I hoped he would do everyday for the rest of our lives together.

"I love you" I smiled, but I could not shake the feeling that things were going to go terribly wrong before the night was over. My stomach churned painfully, and I waited for the bile to rise in the back of my throat. But there was nothing. Nothing but the twisting knots that were working their way through my belly.

Something was coming.

I waited until Dean had left our suite, heading downstairs to gear up with the boys, then threw the covers back and climbed out into the biting chill of the room. The matching Snoopy tank top and sweats I wore did nothing to abate the cold of the morning that assaulted my body.

"Castiel?" I called into the darkness of the room. I needed to talk to the Angel. I needed to know if this feeling, that hummed anxiously across my pale flesh, was warranted. Or if it was just a crazy side effect of my pregnancy. "Castiel?"

But there was no answer, only the mournful howl of the wind.

Shivering, I pulled on a pair of denim pants that ended in a tattered hem just above my knees, and one of Dean's flannel shirts. It reached halfway down my slender thighs, and still smelled like him.

If he went out in this weather, I was afraid I was going to lose him.

If I couldn't stop him, I would just have to go with him.

Whether he liked it or not. And I had a feeling he wasn't going to be too pleased with my decision.

With the steady throb of nausea burning in my belly, I made my quickly downstairs to the parking garage where Sam was loading a carton of bottled water into the back of the Hummer, and Dean was doling out weapons to Manny and Colonel. They were quiet, the mood was tense, anticipatory.

It was almost as if they were expecting trouble.

"I'm going with you" I said over the loud roar of the storm outside. Down here it sounded like a rabid animal, a vicious, snarling beast waiting to tear our faces off.

"No, you're not" Dean said with a laugh, and I wanted to slap him. He cradled a shotgun in his arms, a sweet, but condescending, smile play on his lips. "Is too dangerous"

"You just told me it was gonna be OK" I countered angrily. "Do make it a habit of lying to me?"

"It's not… I didn't…" Dean stammered, looking at the others for support. They stayed silent, knowing better than to get in the middle of this. "It's not safe for _you_. With everything going on, with the baby… I don't want you out there"

"I need to go" I said, pleadingly. "There's something out there, and if you won't listen to me and wait until this bitch of a storm has passed through then I'm going with you"

"Lu, no" he said gently, stepping forward and lowering the imposing shotgun to his side. "You're not coming. I won't let you"

"Who the Hell are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?" I yelled, regretting the anger and hate that stained my voice even as I spoke the words. I didn't want to do this to him. I didn't want it to go this way, but I had to get through to him. "Just who do you think you are, Cowboy?"

"I'm your goddamn husband" Dean spat angrily, and his expression was thunderous. For the first time since I had known him, he terrified me. "And if I say you're not going…"

"_Dean!_" Sam interrupted desperately, looking nervous and awkward as he tried to ease the tension that had filled the garage like an angry black cloud. "Maybe you should…"

"Sammy, don't" Dean said through clenched teeth, glaring at his brother so intensely that Sam actually winced. The storm wasn't the only dangerous thing out that night. "She's pregnant, and goddamn Lucifer is after our son. There's absolutely no way I'm letting her go out there"

"We could use all the help we can get" Colonel shrugged, holding his hands up in a sign of supplication. "If she want's to come, I say let her"

Dean rounded on the grey haired man, his eyes burning with such an unadulterated anger than I half expected Colonel to burst into flames.

"You keep out of this" he spat, pointing his finger threateningly at the War vet. "She's my wife…"

"I'm going" I said loudly, firmly, holding my head high and trying to keep my voice steady despite the desperate hammering of my heart in my chest. It felt like it would burst free at any moment. I took the shotgun out of Dean's hands, scowling at him and daring him to stop me, and climbed into the Hummer. I slammed the door pointedly behind me.

There was a long moment of silence as Dean fumed and I knew things were not going to be alright with us for a while. I could almost see the steam rising from his ears. No one spoke, no one said anything over the screaming tempest outside. It was almost eerily silent.

Then, Colonel said the one word that almost drove me over the edge and into a homicidal rage for which there would be no cure. It was the playful lightness in his voice that really pissed me off.

"_Hormones_"

I would not beheld responsible if I hurt him, horribly, before the night was over.


	42. Game Faces On, Folks

**A/N - Sorry this one took me so long to uplaod, life has gotten wicked crazy! I don't think I've actually had a decent sleep all week! Any way, it's up, finally... I hope you like it... Bad news, I'm gonna have to leave you hanging for a few days coz I'm taking a long weekend and going down South (from the Top of Australia to the very bottom) to visit my mom. Fear not, I will update the instant I get off the plane and can walk straight XD Again, I'm sorry, please don't hurt me!! XP**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXO**

* * *

The night was malicious. It seemed to stretch on for an eternity, depressingly dark and haunting as it assaulted us without mercy. Endless forks of brilliant white lightning streaked incessantly across the angry sky, preceding the raging thunder that set the hair along my arms on end. The ominous hum was still in the air, vibrating through the morbid shadows and churning painfully in the pit of my belly.

The feeling of dread had not lessened since leaving the hotel. If anything, it had gotten worse.

_It_ was still out there. And it would not be forgiving.

The rain was slowing us down. Ted and his group were an hour away at most, but the ferocity of the storm hindered the visibility through the dark, and slowly flooded the streets, allowing us only the agonisingly slow pace of a frantic crawl.

It seemed to be laughing at us, amused at our desperation to do some good in this Hellish existence. It mocked us.

It wanted us to fail.

I stared silently out the window, trying to focus on anything but the dull ache pulsing in my heart. I could not stop thinking about the look on Dean's face, the anger that had burned in his eyes.

The thought that I had hurt him tore my heart in two, and I was afraid it would never be whole again.

And it was my fault.

"He's just worried" Sam said, breaking the uncomfortable silence hanging between us. "About you and the baby. He didn't mean…"

"It's OK, Sam" I sighed, turning to smile at him sadly, touched at his concern. "This isn't our first fight. Not by a long shot, Mister"

"He's kinda stubborn, isn't he?" he said with a gentle laugh. He should know. Before the virus, the two of them had travelled from city to city for several years, laying waste to every supernatural being that crossed their path. Dean had told me tales of disagreements that made our squabbles look like shits and giggles. If anyone knew how I was feeling, it was Sam.

"We both are" I murmured, looking down at the ring glinting on my finger. Despite our fiery arguments, Dean and I fit together perfectly. Two halves of one soul… Our love was epic. We were meant for each other. Destined to be together, forever and always. "One time, he didn't speak to me for six days"

"Why?" Sam frowned, a smiling lighting up his features.

"I honestly can't remember. It was…God, it seems like it was forever ago" I laughed, shifting in the seat to tuck my legs beneath me. "But we got through it. We fight, and don't speak for a few days, but we sort it out in the end. It's probably completely unhealthy by Dr Phil's standards, but it's just the way we are. Plus, our make up sex rocks the Casbar" I grinned wickedly, pushing my fingers through my messy curls.

We would go back to the way we were.

We had to.

"You're kinda perfect for each other" he said with uneasy smile. "It's almost disturbing"

Laughing, I glanced out the window into the desolate darkness. It was creepily hollow, like an open mouth waiting to swallow us.

What was out there that had drawn me into this probably doomed rescue mission? I was supposed to be warm in bed, eagerly awaiting Dean's return. I was supposed to be waiting for him, ready to give him a Heroes welcome when he came home.

I was supposed to be keeping my son safe.

What was I doing…

Suddenly, a set of glaring red lights caught my eyes, burning bright deep in the shadows of an alley. The looked demonic, glowing ghoulishly in the darkness. They looked like the eyes of the Devil himself.

Sam didn't seem to notice them, too focused on getting us through this tempest in one piece.

I pressed my hand to the window, opening my mouth to tell him. Then, as my heart skipped a beat, I remembered Birdie's words of warning, spoken all those nights ago when things had held a semblance of normal.

_Lights in the darkness. Lights that shine and burn. Lights that bring pain and fear. _

_Don't follow the lights._

_Don't get lost._

Was this _it_?

Was this the thing I was so scared of? The thing that had my heart clenched in an iron grip of fear?

Lights in the dark…

A shiver worked its way up my spine as I realised that we might not make it back from this adventure. This could be it for us. There was someone, _something_, behind those lights.

And it would be the end of us all.

Manny's voice sounded through the darkness and I jumped, banging my knee so hard against the dashboard it brought tears to my eyes. Sam cast a worried look in my direction.

"I think we're coming up on the station, guys" Manny said gruffly. He sounded tired. "According to the map, it should be just around the corner…"

The police station that had been a nightmarish haven for six survivors was indeed just around the corner.

It was Fubar…

Fucked up beyond all recognition.

The building had probably been quite impressive in its former life. Now, it was nothing but a blot of heart wrenching chaos. The front windows, once proclaiming '**Chester Mill's Police Department'**, were smashed, and the front door hung ominously off its hinges. The building was dark and depressing.

There was no sign of life.

Had the Infected got to them before we could save them?

Or was it something else? Something worse?

_Lights in the darkness…_

"We're too late" Sam whispered as we came to a stop in the front parking lot. I could feel the dejection that drained the blood from his face and slumped his shoulders.

The other vehicles pulled up beside us and for the longest moment, no one said a word. We had come all this way, and it would be for nothing. Our grand plan to fight back against this Apocalypse had been quashed.

Where did we go from here?

"We have to check it out" Dean's voice came solemnly over the radio. "We owe Ted that much"

"You should stay in the car" Sam said, sounding so much like his brother I almost couldn't stand it.

"After all this, if you think I'm just gonna sit here on my fat, pregnant ass, you've got another thing coming, Sammy" I said with a hint of venom in my voice.

I held his gaze fiercely until he finally cracked a smile. He was so handsome that I couldn't blame Addie for falling in love with him. His eyes alone could have rendered me lost for hours if I wasn't careful.

"You're ass isn't that fat" he joked playfully, and I could help but laugh.

Despite everything, it felt good.

We stepped out into the rage swirling furiously around us, ducking our heads against the squall as we ran across the parking lot to what had once been the front door.

There was a bloody handprint pressed to the doorframe. It did not bode well for Ted and his people.

"Game faces on, folks" Colonel said, cocking his gun. There was a glint in his eyes that frightened me. He seemed to enjoy the thrill of danger.

Dean handed me a Coleman lantern, and our fingers touched briefly. I looked up at him, wanting to tell him that I loved him but afraid that he wouldn't care. His eyes were hard as he stared at me, and I couldn't breathe.

"Be careful" he said at last, and there was a warmth in his voice that told me we would be OK. After this night was over, we would go back to the way we were.

That alone gave me courage. I could, and I would, face whatever the Apocalypse threw at us next.

"You too, Cowboy" I smiled softly.

Colonel led the way as we stepped into the building, preparing ourselves for death and destruction.

A part of me knew that whoever, or whatever, was behind the lights had done this.

And soon they would come for us.

Inside, a War had raged. Furniture, some broken, some whole, was strewn everywhere, a clear sign of a ferocious struggle. Bullet holes dotted the roof and walls. There was a spray of blood across the painting behind the front desk, a gory line of red cutting through the serene mountain valley, staining the small herd of mustangs in the corner.

"This ain't looking good, Dean" Manny said, holding his lantern up to study the bloodied painting. "Huh! My mom had this one"

It was the last thing he ever said.


	43. Taking Pleasure In Our Pain

**A/N - Well, I'm back! Back in Black, baby! XD I had a great time, got a new tattoo, and managed to catch the first two episodes of Season 5 that premiered in Oz while I was down South! Freaking awesome! Could Dean _be_ anymore adorable!?!? So, anyways, I hope you all enjoy the new chapter, even though it's kinda short, and that you'll forgive me for killing off one of the main characters... I'm sorry, but it just goes to prove that no one is safe in the new, twisted World! As always, enjoy, and please leave behind your beautiful words of encouragement because I adore hearing from you all!!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXO**

* * *

I never heard the shot that killed Manny.

Later, when I was lost in the embrace of terrifying nightmares, reliving this moment over and over again, I would imagine it. I would imagine the sharp crack as it exploded from the gun, the hiss as it whistled through the air. I would imagine the sound it made as it pierced his flesh, severing his jugular vein and spinal column on its path of destruction through his bull-like neck.

When I was kept from sleep by the haunting memories of this night, I would imagine that the sound had form, that it had taken shape, that it was like a thick black shadow surrounding us, taunting us. I would imagine it laughing at us, taking pleasure in our pain.

And sometimes, perhaps the most disturbing of all, I would imagine that it was me who had died, and not Manny. And the thrall of the peaceful darkness that death brought was so beautiful it frightened me.

It was over the moment I felt the hot spray of his blood across my face and chest. The bullet shattered his spine, rendering him paralysed, and the hot torrent of blood flowing from the impossibly tiny wound was too much, coming too fast. There was no hope of him living through this. No hope of him surviving this ominous, gruesome night. But a part of me would not except that this was it. A part of me wanted to save him.

I fell to my knees beside his limp, lifeless form, pressing my hands to his neck. His blood spilled from between my fingers like a river, spreading across the scuffed wooden floor at an alarming rate. There was a keening wail in the distance, and I would realise later that it came from me. I would realise that this was the moment that changed everything.

Madness reigned around us as gunfire and roaring bellows of anger were exchanged, but I took no notice. My friend…My family, was dying and I could not save him. There was nothing I could do as I felt the life draining from him with each laboured beat of his dying heart. I had never felt so helpless.

Manny looked up at me desperately, his eyes wide with fear, his blue lips trying to form words as he edged closer to the swirling chasm of death. But the only sound he could make was a heartbreakingly wet gurgle as blood bubbled from between his lips, spilling down his beard. It was close. It was lurking just around the corner, waiting.

"Don't…" I sobbed, slipping my bloodied hand into his. He gave it a weak squeeze with his fading strength. "Don't speak. It's going to be… It'll be OK, Manny. I'm right here" I brushed a bushy lock of hair from his eyes, watching as the light in his dark eyes flickered.

And then, without the theatrics of a Hollywood death scene, he stopped breathing. His hand went limp in mine, his eyes staring sightlessly at the roof as he died.

I let his hand fall to his side, and stared down at his body. At his corpse. Only moments ago, he had been a person, a living, breathing human being with a soul and a conscience and a smile that could calm my deepest fears. Now, he was nothing more than a shell, a husk, an inhuman vessel that no longer resembled the man I had loved like family. I stared at my hands, dripping with his blood, staining my skin.

He was dead.

We had lost another one.

This Goddamn, mother fucking Apocalypse had claimed another soul... Another of my family...

It wasn't fair. It wasn't at all fucking fair.

Slowly, not trusting my own body anymore, I climbed to my feet, standing amidst the chaos that raged in this Hellish haven. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. I could feel the stinging heat of bullets flying past, whipping the air around me, but I took no notice. The blood on my hands was thick. It was dark, and thick, dripping from my fingers to the floor, pooling at my feet. I stared at my hands and was reminded of things I had fought so hard to forget.

Of my sister, my pure and beautiful sister, coming at me with a feral snarl and a murderous glint in her eyes. Of the way I had taken the knife, still smeared with sugary sweet icing, and plunged it deep into her neck as she lunged at me. Of the way her blood had spilled across my hands, and her gasping breaths as she died in my arms.

Sam appeared in front of me, blood gushing from a gash above his eye. His lips were moving furiously, but I couldn't hear him.

I could only hear the distant voice of my dead sister. Her ghost, hiding in the shadows, following me, haunting me.

"LU!" Sam yelled, taking my face in his hands and forcing my eyes to his. "We have to go"

"He's dead, Sam" I whispered, holding my hands up as though he needed proof. "He's dead"

"I know, but we have to go" There was no compassion in his voice, only fear, and a part of me hated him for not caring. He took a hold of my hand and started to pull me away. Away from the dead body of my friend. My family.

"NO!" I screamed hysterically, fighting to free myself from his grasp. "We can't leave him here! We can't leave him behind!" I beat my fists angrily against Sam's broad chest. "We can't just leave him here to rot, you son of a bitch"

"I'm sorry, Lu, I am…But we have to go now" His voice and his eyes pleaded with me.

Around us, bullets screamed by, and the acrid stench of gunpowder filled the room. But I took no notice. Manny was dead, and it felt like a part of me had died with him.

"I'm not leaving him" I cried, falling to the floor beside Manny's dead body. I took his lifeless hands in my own, clutching them to my chest. They were still warm, but they no longer felt like him. Whatever had made him Manny was long gone from this place, but he was still my family.

And I would not leave him here to decay slowly in the shadows. I would not leave him here to become a plaything for the Infected, or some supernatural freak.

I would not leave him alone in the darkness.

"Lu, please" Sam called, taking me by the shoulders and hauling me to my feet. "We can't stay"

I turned to face him, and before I could stop myself, I slapped him. My hand left a bloody streak across his cheek. Startled, he took a step back, more surprised than hurt.

"I'm sorry" I whispered, horrified at myself. "I'm so…"

There was a sudden, burning flash of pain in the side of my head, and I could feel something hot spilling down my neck. A spray of red appeared across Sam's stunned face, and I frowned.

"This is the way the World ends…" I breathed, and the World around me went black.


	44. Open Your Goddamn Eyes

**A/N - I'm so sorry that this took me so long to get out. I've been so freaking tired! But, it's finally done, and I hope you like it. It's more of a filler than anything. So, as ever, please enjoy and feel free to leave behind your blessed words, coz they always make me feel awesome!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOX**

* * *

There was light in the darkness. Piercing bursts of light that burned through the thick black fog of unconsciousness. Through the shadowy chasm of oblivion that held me captive in its bitter embrace like a cold-hearted lover. I caught glimpses of blurry shapes and distorted faces in the gloom, distant and muffled voices working their way through the murkiness surrounding me.

The voices were frantic, shouting and screaming as my body was jostled about. I tried hard to focus on each voice, to listen to what they were saying, but I couldn't. They bled together, rising and falling in the darkness.

There was one voice that stood out in the terrifying depths of darkness. One voice louder and clearer than the others.

Dean.

Through the fog, it was his voice that I could hear above all the others. It was his voice that I clung to, that I used as an anchor. It was his voice, a desperate whisper as he begged me, pleaded with me, that kept me from losing myself to the swirling void.

I could feel the weight of his hand in mine, the warmth of his skin against mine and it was enough to keep me from fading. It was his touch that kept me from giving up, from giving in to the despair that assaulted me.

"Come on, baby" his voice, thick with tears and desperation, sounded in the darkness. "Open your eyes. Open your goddamn eyes" His voice hitched, and I could hear the distant echo of his sobs. "Lu, come back to me"

_I'm here._ I tried to speak, to will my lips to form the words, but my body would not respond. My body was not my own anymore. It was a foreign vessel, and I was just along for the ride. _I'm trying. I'm fighting. I love you…_

It felt like lifetimes were passing me by while I lay there, helpless, trapped in my own traitorous body. Eons of infinite time rushing by while I was lost in the dark, while I fought against the constraints of unconsciousness. I fought so hard, wading through the thick fog, crawling pathetically towards the spark of light at the end of the tunnel.

And through it all, it was Dean's voice that kept me going.

I had no concept of time as I lay there, no notion of day or night or weeks or years. I could do nothing but listen to the melange of voices around me, and fight to haul myself out of this nightmare while time drift by like a lazy stream.

Then, as though I were waking from a midday nap, my eyes opened.

The fiery burst of pain that roared through my skull almost blinded me, and a pained cry escaped my lips. The light cast by several pillar candles was bright. It was too bright. It ignited a headache that pounded joyfully around my head like a sadistic jackhammer. Whimpering, I closed my eyes again and the darkness was a relief.

"Lu?" came Dean's frantic voice from beside me. I felt the bed shift as he moved himself closer to me.

"The baby…" I gasped, my heart thudding in my chest. My son, our son… Oh God, the baby. What had I done? "Dean, the baby…"

I felt Dean press his hand to the soft mound of my belly, his fingers gently caressing my stomach.

"He's fine" Dean said softly, leaning in to press his lips tenderly to mine. I could feel the wetness of his tears and the sandpaper rasp of his unshaven jaw on my cheeks. "The baby's fine"

I bit my lip to hold back the sob of relief that threatened to escape. Weakly, feeling as feeble as a newborn foal trying to find its legs, I lifted a shaky arm and laid my hand over Dean's. Together, fingers entwined, we held our hands over our son, nestled safely in my womb.

Taking a deep breath, I tried opening my eyes again. It wasn't so bad second time around, and I was able to look across at Dean. Through blurry eyes, like looking through dirty water, I was able to see him.

He looked terrible.

His face was drawn, haggard. He hadn't shaved, his beard thick and course along the line of his jaw. There were bags beneath his dull, tired eyes, as dark and vicious as bruises. He hadn't slept. He hadn't showered.

He hadn't left my side for a single moment. I fell in love with him all over again.

"You look like shit" I whispered, reaching out to brush my fingers through his hair, noting that he needed a trim.

"Ditto, Princess" he said, smiling through the tears welling in his bloodshot eyes.

I pulled him in for a long, deep kiss. He tasted like soy milk several months passed its used by date, but I didn't care. I only cared about having him in my arms, and never, ever letting him go.

He broke the kiss to crawl in beside me, wrapping his arms around me tightly, holding me close to him.

"What happened?" I asked, as he buried his face in the curve of my neck. Everything from the fateful night was a shadowy blur, and the harder I tried to grasp at the whispery tendrils of my memory, the further they seemed from my grasp.

"You were shot" Dean said softly. I felt his fingers brush against the side of my head, and winced at the tenderness of the flesh. "It only grazed you, but it was deep. Half an inch to the right and… Jesus. Addie patched you up as best she could with what we've got, but you've been out of it since that night"

"How long?"

"Three days" He took my hand in his and brought it to his lips, gently kissing each of my fingers. "God, Lu… You had me so scared"

"I'm sorry" I breathed, fighting back the tears. "Dean, I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have gone…"

"Damn straight you shouldn't have gone" he said, but there was no anger in his voice. "Baby, I know you want to be a part of this, but please… Don't ever, ever leave the hotel again. I almost lost you tonight… You came so close to dying, and I…I couldn't face this World if you weren't in it. I need you"

"I'm not planning on stepping one foot out of this place anytime soon, trust me" I said with a smile. "But Dean, I need you to promise me one thing"

"Anything" he said without hesitation.

"When I say it's not safe, when I get a feeling or whatever it was… Please, listen to me" I looked across at him, his face close enough to mine that I could feel his breath caressing my cheeks. "It could have been…" I gasped suddenly, feeling my heart shatter as the night came back to me. "Manny!" I cried.

"Lu, I'm sorry, but we couldn't bring him back" Dean said apologetically, brushing his fingers through my curls. "It wasn't safe, and we had to get you back"

"He's out there" I whispered, shivering despite the warmth. "He's out there all alone. Can we… Can you go back for him? We have to bring him home, Dean. We can't leave him out there for _them_"

"Baby, I'm sorry. It's just not safe"

He held me while I cried. While I cried for the loss of a dear friend who we had left out there in the dark. Who we had left all alone, at the mercy of the Infected, to rot and decay while we went on to live our lives.

"What happened?" I asked, my body shuddering with sobs.

"We got there too late" Dean started, wiping the tears from my cheeks. "There were four men, bandits or something, and they'd killed everyone before we got there. We walked in on them… They were raping the women…They were…" His voice turned hard. "They were human"

"Oh God" I gasped, the urge to vomit rising up on me like a tidal wave.

As if the World wasn't fucked up enough as it was, there were people out there who got off on raping and murdering, who were more interested in satisfying their carnal needs than helping fellow survivors.

"Did you kill them" I asked without a hint of emotion in my voice. They had taken Manny from us; they had taken away our hope. They deserved to die the most painful deaths possible.

"We got at least two before they fled. Before you…" He stopped, pressing his lips to mine. "But you don't need to worry about it. You need to focus on getting better"

"Are you gonna be my naughty nurse?" I asked, forcing a smile. With all these new and so-not-exciting horrors coming at us, I wanted nothing more than to lose myself in Dean's arms.

"You bet your sweet ass, I am" he grinned wickedly. "I believe, ma'am, it's time for your sponge bath" He threw the covers back and slipped out of bed, taking me in his arms and carrying me to the bathroom.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I laughed. I was finally going to have my bath. My mythical bath that had been evading me for so very long.

And all it had taken was a bullet to the head.


	45. I Had Died And Gone To Heaven

**A/N - I'm so sorry it took me so long to update! Work has been keeping me busy, and between looking after my bozo of a horse and trying to get at least few hours of sleep at night, I just didn't have the energy to get this out... Please forgive me! I finally sat down tonight, after watching the gosh darn freaking awesome _Zombieland_, inspired and ready to go! It's just a quick, fluffy, unadulterated piece of filler, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless! And, as always, please keep leaving your wanted and needed reviews. I do so very much love hearing from my darling regulars! Y'all are like family now XD**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOX**

* * *

I had died and gone to Heaven.

The bath… The mythical, long awaited, fateful bath was perfect. It was beyond perfect. It defied the laws of perfect. It was so perfectly perfect that it was impossible to find the words to describe how sinfully wonderful it was.

And it was mine.

No… It was ours.

Dean boiled water on a portable gas cooker he had acquired at the Wal-Mart and filled the colossal bathtub to the brim, adding just enough lavender scented bubble bath to create a billowing cloud of sensuous white foam.

We lit several tea lights on the marble counter, where they cast a seductive glow around the bathroom, put an AC/DC album into the battery-operated radio for some gentle, ass kicking background music, and settled ourselves into this perfect slice of Heaven.

"Mmmm" I sighed blissfully, leaning my body back against Dean's broad chest, resting my still tender head on his shoulder. As always, we fit together perfectly. Two halves of one hole.

"This…" Dean smiled, pressing his soft lips to my neck. "This is the life"

"Can we stay here forever?" I breathed, the deliciously hot water sending pleasant tingles from the roots of my hair to the very tips of my toes.

He chuckled lightly, wrapping his arms around my waist. The feel of him, of all of him, pressed against me was enough to ignite a blush of desire across the length of my body.

Despite everything that had happened over the last few days, despite the painful loss of Manny, I had never felt so joyful, never felt more content, than I did in that moment. The World was fucked up six ways from Sunday, Lucifer was breathing his fetid breath down our necks, and there was every possibility that we would never see our son grow up… But at that moment, at that exact point in time, I was happy. And even though I knew it wouldn't last, because nothing in this new World did, I just did not care.

Because I had Dean. And when it came down to it, he was all I needed in this World.

He was all I wanted.

Forever and always.

"Is Sam mad at me?" I asked as Dean ran a soft white washcloth down my arm, his fingers entwined with my own.

"Why would he be mad at you?"

"Because I slapped him" I said softly, a wave of guilt washing over me at the memory of what I had done. "Because I said things to him that weren't exactly bright and shiny"

"It takes a lot more than that to hurt a Winchester" he laughed, dipping the cloth into the water and bringing it to my chest. He ran it teasingly across my collarbone. "We're made of some seriously tough stuff, baby" He pressed the cloth to the slight swell of my belly in small, soothing circles. "Just like this kid of ours will be"

"With my ravishing good looks and your moxie…" I grinned, relishing in the sensation of his touch across my abdomen. "This kid will be unstoppable" I tried so very hard not to think of the danger our son was facing, focusing only on what Dean was doing to me… On the fell of his body pressed against mine. On the gentle shivers working their way up my spine.

Pressing his lips to my neck, Dean dipped the cloth lower, eliciting a sharp gasp from me at the feel of his fingers against my soft flesh. I bit my lip, moaning softly as his lips laid a fiery trail down my neck, erasing every last fear from my mind with the suggestive promise in his lingering touch.

I may have been sore and wounded, but, goddamnit, I was gonna get some loving.

Suddenly, the flames of the candles flickered sharply, and with the gentle thrum of wings beating in the darkness, Castiel was standing in the bathroom, gazing down at us with an impassive expression on his face.

"Jesus Christ… Son of a bitch" Dean exclaimed, sending a wave of bubbles and water across the tiled floor as he hurriedly pulled his hand out from between my legs. He lost his hold on the sordid washcloth, and it landed with a resonant _splash_ across Castiel's sleek shoes.

The Angel looked down at it, but made no move to kick it away.

"I'm interrupting something" he said, looking again at us. There was nothing in the shadowed features of his face that gave the impression he even knew was he was interrupting.

He didn't even have the decency to be embarrassed.

It was too funny not to laugh. Which is exactly what I did.

"Cass, it's great to see you, it really is" Dean said breathlessly, using his arms to cover my lady parts even though we were buried beneath a mountain of bubbles. "But, damnit, a little privacy here"

"I have news" Castiel said, unperturbed. To give him credit, his eyes never left our faces. He didn't even try to sneak a peek. He was quite the gentleman.

"That's great, but we're kind of in the middle of something" Dean said, lifting an arm to indicate the bathtub. From the feel of him pressing against my back, he planned to finish everything we had started before hearing what the Angel had to say.

And from the feel of him pressing against my back, I planned on letting him.

As many times as he needed.

"I can wait" Castiel said, lifting his head slightly to stare stoically at the ceiling. He linked his hands behind his back, standing so still he could have been made of stone, and showed no sign of leaving. He was so clueless it was beyond adorable.

"CASS!" Dean exclaimed exasperatedly.

"Yes?" He looked back down at us, oblivious to what was happening beneath the bubbles.

"GET OUT!"

"Yes" he said with a nod, turning on his heel and leaving the bathroom to wait patiently in the bedroom. He at least had the civility to close the door behind him, leaving us to our privacy.

"Ohmygod" I laughed, burying my face in my hands. "I can almost see the letter to Penthouse…"

"I think I almost had a heart attack" Dean breathed, pressing his hand to his chest. "He scared the living shit out of me"

Laughing, I pushed away from Dean and moved to the middle of the tub, almost deep enough to need to paddle. The bubbles danced playfully around me with the movement of the water, spilling more across the tiles. I had no concern for the mess. What were a few drops of water when you were fighting through the Apocalypse?

I looked at Dean, at the way the candle light played across his face, and poked my tongue out at him.

I wanted to play.

A wicked grin spread across Dean's devilishly handsome features, and he reached under the water to take a hold of my ankle, pulling me into his lap.

"Now, where were we?" he said in a low voice that trilled across my skin.

"Why, Mr Winchester" I gasped with mock modesty. "With an Angel in the other room?"

He lifted a hand out of the water, blindly groping at the radio until his fingers found the volume dial. He twisted it hard, raising the voices of Bon Scott and his fellow AC/DCers to a level that would drown out even the loudest of cries.

And then his lips found mine, and I was his for the taking.


	46. I've Been Around

**A/N - Thanks for all the reviews, my friends. Glad you enjoyed the sickly sweet fluff as much as I enjoyed writing it. I got my ass into gear and wrote this one while watching _Mad Max_, which has given me some lovely inspiration for future chapters. Again, just a short filler to keep the rabid masses at bay while I work on the action that will rock the boat, baby... Great, now I have _that_ song in my head XD. Anyway, please enjoy this on my behalf, and as always, leave behind your awesome words!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXO**

* * *

Castiel was standing at the window, staring intently into the infinite darkness that cloaked the outside World when we emerged from the bathroom; clean, refreshed, and pleasantly spent from our X-rated bath. Hearing us from across the room, or perhaps even just sensing us with his Angel mojo, he turned to regard us with smouldering eyes.

I was again taken by how handsome he was. Was it moral for Angels to be so sinfully beautiful?

"Cass" Dean said warmly, walking across to the Angel and hugging him with an almost brotherly affection. It was obvious that he was more than fond of the Angel. Hell, I had met him twice and I was already somewhat in love with him. "Damn good to see you"

"Likewise" Castiel said, and for a moment, I thought I could see something akin to fondness for Dean flicker in his eyes. But, just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone and he was just as emotionless as before.

I was starting to think that maybe the Angel wasn't as stoic as he would lead us to believe. That behind the cool, calm, deliciously sexy exterior was the kind-hearted, shiny happy soul of a puppy.

And I had the sudden, hysterical desire to scratch his belly.

Moving to sit cross-legged on the bed, I bit back a laugh at the images that waltzed jauntily through my mind. I must have made a sound, because Castiel looked at me with an adorably quizzical expression etched across his face.

I could only smile at him, not trusting myself to speak without unleashing a peal of laughter that would make me look like an insane person.

I had a feeling it wasn't a good idea to go and give an Angel a belly rub. I had a feeling that God himself, or herself, might frown on that.

"Where have you been?" Dean asked, happily clapping the Angel on the shoulder. He had been hurt and confused when Castiel had shown himself only to me, worried that it meant something foreboding. He was obviously happy that the Angel had finally made himself known. "I haven't seen you since… Man, not since Kansas City. Not since the virus broke and the World was sent to shit"

"I've been… around" Castiel answered cryptically, and it didn't look like he was willing to elaborate any further.

"Good to hear" Dean said with a playful roll of his eyes. "So, what's the news you're so keen to tell us about? Seeing as you felt it necessary to interrupt our happy hour, it must be kinda pressing"

"Is it the baby?" I asked, folding my hands across my belly. "Do you know something about what Lucifer wants with our son?"

"No" he answered with a shake of his head. "No, I'm sorry, it's not that"

I let out a long breath, lifting my wet curls from my neck and looking across at Dean. He blessed me with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He was just as frustrated as I was. We were still no closer to finding out why the Prince of fucking Darkness wanted our child… Or what he would do if he got his hands on him.

And with each day that went by without any answers, the more I felt I was losing him.

"I've managed to locate several survivors groups" Castiel said, walking across to our dresser and running his fingers across the cheap and cheesy ornaments. He picked up a black lacy bra that I had left hanging from the drawers, holding it up and studying it. He seemed almost perplexed by it, by the clasps and the pink ribbons weaved into the cups. "I need you to retrieve them and bring them back here" He held it against his broad chest, as though trying to figure out what it did, and how it worked.

Shaking his head, Dean scoffed loudly.

"We tried that already" he said with a hard edge to his voice, pulling the bra from Castiel's hands and tossing it into the hamper. "And it didn't work out too well for us. One of our own was killed, and I almost lost my wife and child. Forgive me if I'm not jumping at the chance to go through it all again"

"They need your help" Castiel said with a frown. "If I remember correctly, that's what you do. You help those who need it"

"That was a long time ago" Dean said softly, sitting down beside me and taking my hand in his. "That was before the human race turned into fucked up excuses for flesh suits. And I'm not just talking about the Infected. If you had seen what those sick sons of bitches had done to those people, you wouldn't be too keen to head out there either"

"You're scared" It wasn't a question.

"Damn right I'm scared" he exclaimed without a hint of shame. "I'm scared of losing my family. I'm scared of losing my friends. I'm scared every damn day because it could be my last"

I pressed a hand gently to his arm. He was trembling.

"So you're willing to let them die?" There was actual anger in the Angel's husky voice, proof that there was a bit of humanity lurking deep inside of him. It was only a shadow, but it was there.

"If it means protecting those around me, then yeah, I am"

"Dean" I whispered, horrified at the words he had just spoken. How could he give up? Sure, things hadn't worked out as well as we had hoped, and more harm than good had come from our last rescue attempt, but that didn't mean we couldn't keep trying. We had to. We owed it to those who had survived for this long. "We can't just leave them to die. If we do, then we're no better than those assholes"

"She's right" Castiel said.

"Yeah" Dean sighed, looking down at me. "She has a habit of that"

I smiled.

"So, where will we find these other survivors?"

"There are many of them out there" Castiel started, moving to stand at the window again, gazing out into the darkness. I got the impression he was the brooding type. "I haven't been able to find them all, but I've made a start. It will take time to find everyone"

"Brick by brick" I said softly, remembering a quote from long ago. Saving the day wasn't something that happened over night. It was going to take a lot of blood, sweat and tears to claw our way out of this Hell. But, by freaking God, had to try our hardest. We had to fight like crazy.

"The closest are in New York…"

"I've always wanted to see the Big Apple" I sighed wistfully. It had been on a list Millie and I had put together, detailing the cities we wished we could live in. It had been her favourite choice.

"You're not going anywhere, baby, and you know it" Dean said pointedly, pressing his hand to my belly. "You're staying right here to make sure that kid of ours gets born big and healthy. Besides, with your luck, the instant you step out the door, something bad is gonna happen… I just know it. You've still got that bad juju following you around"

After everything that had happened, I wasn't going to argue. I wanted to stay at the hotel, getting fat and feeling our son growing inside me. Although, I was hoping that he wouldn't be too big, because… OUCH! I was not looking forward to giving birth.

"They don't have long" Castiel said, looking from Dean to me. "A few days at most. You have to leave as soon as you can"

"Well, then" Dean sighed, standing up and pushing his fingers through his hair. "I guess it's time to rock and roll"

I hoped that this time, things worked out better. That we could actually make a difference and do some good in this post-Apocalyptic World.

I didn't want to lose anyone else to the dark hearts of humanity. I couldn't bear the thought of leaving anyone else behind, all alone in the harsh shadows of this Hell on Earth.

I wasn't strong enough to go through it again. Not so soon after losing Manny.

I wasn't strong enough to say goodbye to those I loved.

And I couldn't imagine I ever would be.

Castiel frowned at Dean, looking confused and alarmed at the same time.

"What does music have to do with saving people's lives?"

And with that, Dean and I laughed.

It felt good.


	47. How Shall The Burial Rite Be Read?

**A/N - I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to update, loyal readers. Darwin, which is where I live, was hit by the ass end of a Tropical Cyclone and we've had some wild weather over the last few days. We've had flooding, a lot of trees knocked over, and power lines down. We've had no internet connection for a while, which is why I couldn't update sooner! I'm sorry, don't blame me, blame Mother Nature in all her awesomeness! XD. Anyway, please enjoy, and do let me know what you think coz I love to hear from you all!**

* * *

Without Manny, our family seemed empty and meaningless. Such a big-hearted man, such a large presence amongst us that he left behind a gaping abyss of sorrow in his absence.

We sat around the table, solemn and silent as we grieved, each of us holding a glass of his beloved whiskey as we paid tribute to our fallen soldier.

"I know he wasn't a man of God" Father Michael started, sitting tall at the head of the table. "But I was hoping to say a few words from the Good Book. A psalm, maybe a…"

"No" I said softly, twirling the amber liquid around the glass. Just the scent of it was enough to ignite a wave of memories that broke my heart. I hadn't even known him a year, but he had been family. It was hard to imagine life without him. "No, he'd hate that"

"He really would" Ruth agreed with a sad smile. "Manfred wasn't one for religious fancy"

"He'd throw you the bird and call you a few choice words before you could say '_Yea, through I walk through the valley of the shadow of death_'…" Fletch grinned, and we all shared a soft laugh.

Despite everything, it was nice. It hurt like a fiery sword to the heart, but it felt good to be talking about him. To be remembering him.

The greatest way to honour the dead was to remember them.

"I know I didn't know him even half as long as you all did" Addie started, lightly running her fingers around the lip of her glass. Sam sat beside her, Delia sitting contentedly in his lap. She had grown so big over the last few weeks. Her gorgeous brown eyes, so like her father's, watched us all with a look that could only be likened to intrigue. "But he was a good man"

"He was a great man" Birdie said softly, holding hands with Haylie. Over the weeks, they had become best friends, as close as sisters. Birdie, lucid most of the time though still a little crazy, had helped the young girl out of her shell. She smiled now. She spoke, and danced with her brother, and she was no longer plagued with nightmares.

Like the rest of us, she was adapting to this pitiful excuse of a World.

"I'll be honest with ya" Fletch smiled, looking around the table at all of us. "When I first met him, at that _Gas 'n' Go_, he scared the living daylight out of me. I mean, he was a big guy"

"He was nothing more than a teddy bear" Ruth laughed. "The sweetest man I ever had the pleasure to meet. He will be sorely missed"

Silence fell over us again. What would we do without him? What could we do?

"I'd like to say something" I said, setting the glass down and nervously twisting my fingers together. "I read this poem at the funeral for my parents', it uh…it seemed fitting, and I thought it was nice. I don't remember all of it, but enough that it will hopefully make sense"

"I'd like to hear it" Dean said, slipping his hand into mine. I gripped his fingers tightly, using him as an anchor to keep from falling into the deep pit of despair around us.

I nodded, clearing my throat as my heart pounded at the base of my throat. The last time I had spoken these words, I was burying my parents. It had been the hardest day of my life.

Today seemed no different.

Closing my eyes, I willed the words to my lips.

_How shall the burial rite be read?_

_The solemn song be sung?_

_The requiem for the loveliest dead,_

_That ever died so young?_

_From more than friends on earth,_

_Thy life and love are riven,_

_To join the untainted mirth_

_Of more than thrones in heaven-_

_Therefore, to thee this night_

_I will no requiem raise,_

_But waft thee on thy eternal flight,_

_With a Paean of old days._

As I spoke the final words, I opened my eyes. All eyes were on me, and I couldn't help the sudden flush of embarrassment that burned across my cheeks.

"Oh, child" Ruth cried, tears spilling unrestrained from her blood shot eyes. "Oh, that was beautiful. He would have loved to have heard that. I just know he would"

Orla, with her heart of stone, wiped a tear from her cheek. Callum slung his arm around her shoulder, hugging her to him.

"To Manny" Dean said, holding his glass up in a salute.

"To Manny" we toasted, and everyone but me downed their drink in a single swallow.

"_Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine_" I whispered, just as I had done as my parents were laid to rest in the cold, hard ground. _Grant them eternal rest, O Lord_. Had Manny heard that, he probably would have rolled his eyes, and just the thought of it made me smile.

I pushed my glass to the middle of the table, beside the ornate candelabra fitted with tall, flickering candles. A symbolic gesture for our fallen comrade. An offering to a lost soldier.

A mark of respect for this great man who we had loved and lost.

And, just like we had done before, like we would do again with the next fated soul to be taken from us, we moved on. We took another step toward the light at the end of the tunnel that had begun to dim, determined to avenge Manny's senseless death by saving as many lives as we could.

I watched Sam, Dean and Colonel gather their things together, gearing up to head on out into the darkness. I was scared, fraught with fear and an anxiousness that twisted my stomach in painful knots.

What if we lost someone else…

What if I lost Dean…

I knew this was something that had to be done, there was no way we could let another group of survivors die out there. We had to do everything we could to help them. I knew that. But it didn't ease the panic burning painfully in my chest.

"They're gonna be alright" Addie said softly, walking over to where I was leaning against the reception counter. She cradled her daughter in her arms, looking ethereal with her long hair loose about her shoulders. "You have to believe that they're gonna be alright"

"I'm trying" I sighed, reaching out to brush my fingers against Delia's tiny foot. She gave me the cutest, gummiest smile I had ever seen, and it was almost enough to calm my frazzled nerves.

Almost.

"What happened to Manny was…"

"It's not that" I started, not wanting her to say the words I couldn't bear to hear. The loss was still too raw. "Well, it's mostly that, but Dean and I…We haven't spent a day apart since we met. We've always fallen asleep together. We've always woken up beside each other. Even when we couldn't stand the sight of each other, we've never spent a day apart. And now he's leaving, and I don't know when he'll be back…I feel like I don't know what to do without him. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep without him by my side"

"How about I make you a deal" Addie said. "I'll stay up with you as long as you need. If you don't sleep, I won't sleep. We'll stay up all day, eating barrels of sugary badness and gossiping about long dead celebrities"

"You'd do that?" I smiled. I loved her for understanding.

"Hell, with this one…" She pressed her lips to Delia's forehead. "I hardly sleep as it is. Besides…" She looked across at Sam sadly. "I'm gonna need you just as much as you need me"

"Thank you" I whispered.

"Don't mention it, hun" she smiled. "Now, you'll have to excuse me while I go and change this one's diaper. Isn't that right, stinky bum" She held a smiling Delia up over her head, then brought her down and blew kisses against her chubby cheeks. The infant squealed with delight.

Watching them, I couldn't wait to hold my son in my arms.

She left, giggling and playing with her daughter, and I wandered over to Dean, hugging my arms around myself. He looked up as I neared, smiling tightly.

He was just as nervous as I was.

"Promise me something" I said, standing in front of him and looking up into his gorgeous green eyes.

"Anything"

"Promise me that no matter what, you'll come back to me…" I took a hold of his hands and pressed them to my belly. To our son. "Promise me you'll come back to us"

"I promise" he said without hesitation, leaning in to kiss me tenderly. "Even if I have to claw my way out of Hell all over again"

And with many tears and prayers, with words of goodbye and long, soulful kisses, they left.

And I had no idea if we would ever see them again.


	48. Frostie Flakes

**A/N - Thanks ever so much for the reviews, loyal readers. I'm glad I was able to tug at your heartstrings, that was, of course, my intention all along! The poem was a heavily edited version of Edgar Allen Poe's 'A Paean', one of my favourite poems, behind TS Eliots 'Hollowmen' and Poe's 'The Raven'. I really wanted to work at least one of them into the story, and I'm glad I was finally able to. Anywho, please enjoy this new installment, and as always, do leave behind your beautiful words because I crave them... They're like crack to me! XD**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

Addie stayed true to her word for seven hours and twenty-eight minutes, give or take a few seconds. One minute we were stuffing our faces with Frostie Flakes and discussing the varying degrees of hotness of former Hollywood leading men (I preferred Hugh Jackman to her Jake Gyllenhaul), and the next she had slipped into the sweet embrace of the Sandman, little Delia sleeping soundly on the soft pillow of her chest.

I wasn't upset, or disappointed in the least. To be honest, I couldn't blame her. As a new mother, despite complete adoration of her daughter, it was obvious she wasn't getting much sleep on the best of days. That she had managed to stay awake for more than a few hours was commendable on her part.

For a while, I stayed sitting on the plush sofa, watching the two of them as they dreamed, grazing on my second box of Frostie Flakes. With her arm slung across her peaceful face, Addie snored softly, and Delia sucked her tongue in her sleep.

They were kind of adorable.

When I could no longer just sit there, I moved aimlessly about the dimly lit lobby, straightening the beautifully abstract pictures hanging on the walls, and wiping down surfaces that were already clean. I swept the spotless floor, rearranged the food storage room so that each section was in alphabetical order, and, after finding an acrylic paint sent tucked away behind the reception counter, I started painting scenic landscapes on the wooden boards covering the windows; rolling green fields with towering elm trees and wild horses, a sunset over snow capped mountains, gentle waves of the endless blue ocean lapping at a white sandy beach.

I was tired to the point of exhaustion, but I couldn't sleep. I was restless, anxious… Full to bursting with a nervous energy that would not allow me the respite of slumber.

I felt my sanity slipping, a shadow of crazy creeping up on me as my cruel mind imagined all the ways I could lose Dean. All the ways this vicious World could take more if my family from me.

Their car could blow a tyre, forcing them off the road and head first into a tree, where they would suffer a slow, painful demise, alone in the darkness.

Another gang of sadistic, heartless assholes could find them, and do unspeakable things to them. They would torture them endlessly, and all the while with a song in their hearts, before finally granting them the relief only death could bring.

They could be overrun by the Infected, overwhelmed by a raging crowd of bloodthirsty maniacs. And even though they would fight, they would be torn to bloody shreds.

They could be killed by vampires, or demons, or a murderous clown that fed on human organs. They could be killed by the ghost of a homicidal psychopath that haunted the building they took cover in when the Infected came out to play.

There were so many ways that they could die, and I was stuck, helpless, in this godforsaken hotel, unable to do anything as they were slaughtered by things that went bump in the shadows, as they were savaged by the very thing that had ended the World.

As they slowly bleed to death, cold and alone, the names of their loved ones lingering on their lips…

"Stop it" I whispered harshly, angry with myself for even thinking of such macabre things.

Forcing the horrendous thoughts and images from my mind, I moved to a fresh board, content to wile away my time painting. This time though, I painted our family, trying my hardest to capture the perfect likeness of everyone in a fantastical family portrait. It had been a long time since I'd painted, once a Zen-like hobby that had helped me deal with the tragedies thrust upon me, and the feeling of spreading paint across the smooth wood, creating images from nothing, was indescribable. It was somewhat calming, helping me focus on anything but the fears echoing in my head.

I tried to capture the innocent smiles of the children, the warmth and loving energy of Ruth…

Standing tall in the middle, I painted Manny as he had been, unwilling to exclude him from our family just yet. He was no longer with us, but he was still a part of us. He was still our family.

I tried to capture us as I wanted to remember us for all time. Happy. Whole.

Together.

I spent most of my time on Dean's eyes. Almost twenty minutes getting the colour just right, over an hour perfecting the playful, heroic glint. I worked tirelessly on them until I was satisfied. I wanted them to be perfect.

Just like he was.

"You're quite talented" Castiel said from beside me, startling me so that I dropped the brush. It fell to the ground with a gentle thwack, splattering drops of vibrant green across my bare feet.

"Son of a bitch" I gasped, clutching my hand to my chest where my heart was pounding furiously. "Cass, don't sneak up on my like that"

"I am sorry" he apologised, his voice even, betraying no emotion as usual. "I didn't mean to frighten you"

"It's OK" I smiled, bending down to pick up the brush. "Just give me a little warning next time"

"I will do my best"

"What are you doing here?" I asked, setting the brush into the jar of murky water and wiping my hands on a paint-stained rag. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, or anything"

"I have orders to watch over you and your unborn child" he answered, moving to study my other paintings. He seemed intrigued by the two horses I had painted galloping across the green field, one black, one white, their manes and tails flowing gracefully in the invisible breeze. The black one was in the lead, and the symbolic irony of that fact did not escape me.

"Orders from God?" The words sounded so ridiculous coming from between my lips that I laughed.

He turned to look at me with a serious expression. He really was breath taking.

"Yes"

"I'm sorry, it's just… I've never been religious. I've always found the idea of God to be, well, laughable. Heaven and Hell, good versus evil, getting up early on a Sunday just to go to church… It all seemed kind of ridiculous" I started, walking across to the dining table and sitting down. I tucked my legs beneath me and reached for my box of Frostie Flakes. I could not get enough of the sugary little fiends. "And now, Lucifer wants my son, God is apparently on my side, and I have an Angel watching over me… It's a lot to process, you know"

"Faith is a powerful thing to have" Castiel said, sitting down across from me, leaning forward in his chair and clasping his hands together on the table.

"Yeah, well, when you've been through what I have, you'd be forgiven for losing what little faith you had" I said sadly.

"You're life hasn't been easy" It wasn't a question.

"That, my Heavenly friend, is an understatement"

"Would you like to talk about it?" he asked, and he seemed genuinely concerned. "I have heard that talking about one's pain and heartache is quite therapeutic"

"It's a long story" I warned with a gentle smile. I poured us each a glass of water from the large pitcher, and took a long pull.

"I'm an Angel" he said with a slight shrug. "I have time"

He stayed up with me all day, and long into the afternoon, listening intently to each word I spoke. He didn't interrupt me, he didn't complain or stop me to put in his two-cents. He sat there patiently as I poured my heart out, poured my very soul onto the table before us, speaking of things that pulled painfully on my heartstrings and unleashed a torrent of tears down my pale cheeks.

And when I finally fell asleep, spent from the emotion and heartache that had spilled from between my lips, he took me into his arms and carried me upstairs to my bed.

My Guardian Angel.


	49. It Was Like Coming Home

**A/N - Sorry for the delay, stupid power outages! I love the Wet season that rumbles across the Territory, but freakin Power & Water need to pull their heads out of their asses and not let the bloody power go down all the goddamn time! Anywho, enough of my whining, and back to the task at hand. Please enjoy the latest chapter, I hope it lives up to your expectations! And, B to the Dubs, we're almost at 50 chapters faithful readers! Almost at a half century! No wonder I'm getting a case of Carpel Tunnel!! XD**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

I woke with a start, crying out into the darkness that surrounded me, an icy chill vibrating down the length of my spine. Pulled from a dreamless sleep by seemingly nothing, I feared that Dean was dead. That Sam and Colonel would return from another failed rescue attempt and tell me that this was the moment he died, that he had whispered my name with his dying breath and it was this that had woken me.

"Dean?" I whispered as I pushed myself into a sitting position, the bed sheets falling to my lap. My voice wavered as sharp fingers of fear clutched at my heart with a perverse glee at my despair.

"It's just me" Castiel said softly, emerging from the shadows, his face etched with a gentle concern. The curtain had been pulled back from the window and the pale light of the moon streamed in, giving his white shirt an ethereal glow that highlighted his handsome features. He looked more like an Angel than ever.

"Any word from them?" I asked through the tears threatening to overwhelm me. A scream was burning deep in my belly, and I struggled to hold it back. I feared the answer; afraid my heart would wither and die if he told me my one true love would not be coming back. I could not live without him, I wasn't strong enough to find my way through this World without him by my side.

"No, I'm sorry" Cass answered, moving to sit beside me on the bed.

I let out a shaky breath, running my fingers through my tangle of curls. I felt horribly disjointed, achingly hollow in the absence of Dean. He should be here. I needed him here.

Our son needed him here.

"Is he coming back?" I choked on the tears that spilled down my cheeks.

"Of course he is" the Angel assured me, reaching out to cup my face in his hand. He lifted my eyes to his, looking at me with such unabashed affection that my deepest fears were quelled. "He would do anything to come back to you"

Closing my eyes, I leaned my face into his hand, taking solace in his tender touch. A part of me longed for it to be Dean comforting me, but that it was Castiel seemed fitting. I was growing closer to the Angel with each passing moment, and I knew the feeling was reciprocated. Truth was, I loved him. It was different to the love I felt for Dean, nowhere near as intense or passionate for which my husband would be grateful, but I loved the Angel. Like a best friend, or a brother. He was family now, whether he liked it or not.

"How long was I out?" I hiccupped as he wiped away my tears with his thumb.

"Close to two hours" he said, settling his hands in his lap. "Are you aware that you snore? Quite loudly. It's a wonder that Dean get's any sleep…"

"I do not" I laughed, hitting him on the arm, endeared by the fact that the Angel was equipped with a sense of humour.

He blessed me with a Hollywood smile that warmed my insides, and I knew that whatever there was between us would last forever.

"You should get some more rest" he said, turning serious again, but the concern in his voice belied his steely expression. "You're exhausted, and carrying the child cannot be easy for you. I can stay with you, if you'd like"

"That's sweet" I smiled, reaching out to rest my hand over his. He looked down at our hands together and smiled. "But I don't think I could sleep even if I wanted to. I'm terrified, to tell you the God's honest truth. I'm afraid that something bad is going to happen, and Dean will be taken from me. I need him, Cass. I need him like I need oxygen. Like I need the blood pumping through my veins… Like I need my heart"

"He's going to be alright" he said gently, turning his hand over to entwine his fingers with mine. "You have to trust me"

I looked into his eyes, risking an endless fall into their smouldering depths. For a moment, I thought I could see the flare of his soul burning bright in their brilliance, and it was all I needed.

I did trust him, with all my heart. I trusted him with my life, and with that of my unborn son.

I trusted him when he said Dean would be coming back to me.

"What would I do without you, Cass?" I sighed, falling back against the pillows and resting my hands over my belly. "What would _we_ do without you?"

He stood up and walked across to the windows, gazing up at the shining stars that dotted the inky black sky.

"I'm going to save him" he said, his voice so quiet that I thought for a moment he was talking to himself. He turned to face me with a defiant expression darkening his features. "I'm going to save him for you, or die trying"

Moved to the point of tears, I tried to speak, I tried to tell him how much he meant to me. To us. But, before I could form the words that thrummed through my soul, I was interrupted by the sudden blare of a car horn.

I would have recognized the unmistakeable trumpet of the Impala anywhere.

"Dean" I breathed, my heart fluttering with relief. I glanced desperately at Cass, and he gave a slight nod. Whatever I was going to say could wait.

I was out of bed and racing down the stairs before I even realised it, moving faster than I ever imagined I could. I pushed my way through the door and burst into the lobby.

Addie, who had still been sleeping on the sofa with her daughter, woke at the sound of my entrance. Clutching Delia to her chest, she sat up, looking around, confused.

"What's going on?" she yawned, her tousled hair framing her pretty face. She still looked like a Goddess.

"They're here" I called excitedly, applying the brakes before I tripped over a long, red divan.

"Who?" Addie frowned, still in the hazy process of waking up.

On the other side of the lobby, the door opened…

And there was Dean, his broad figure, whose every detail I had mapped and memorized, framed by the glow of headlights.

A God amongst men.

Time seemed to stand still as we shared an intense look, our hearts inexplicably thrumming to the same beat. Two halves of one whole reunited.

I flew to him, leaping into his arms and wrapping my legs around his waist as I kissed him with everything I had. There was nothing else in the World that held more meaning as I kissed him until we were both gasping for breath. It had been only one day apart, but it was one day too long.

"It's good to see you, too, Princess" he grinned, brushing my curls from my face. He looked tired, but I had never seen anything as beautiful as this man. So handsome I was afraid I would be blinded, as though gazing at the sun. He was mine, and I was his…

Forever and always.

I kissed him again, barely noticing the people that filtered into the hotel as I entwined myself around him, never wanting to let him go. I clung to him desperately, burying my face in his neck as I breathed in his scent.

It was like coming home.


	50. I Followed Him Blindly

**A/N - Well, loyal readers, we've made it to the half century mark! What a ride! I'd like to take the time to thank everyone who has followed this story, all those who have alerted and favourited, and those who keep coming back day after day, week after week... And a wicked-huge thank you to my faithful reviewers, who review every update without fail; _Trickster707, Niffer01, MelodicMisery, elohcin, Brandofheroin-x and janessa_. You guys make this all worthwhile. I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for encouraging me to keep at this, it wouldn't be here without you!**

**Anyway, enough of the mushy stuff XD. I hope y'all like this update, bit of fluffy filler that it is! And, as always and ever, please continue leaving your gracious words!**

**Oh, and SPOILER ALERT, just for sticking with this story for so long...**

***No cannon characters will die!**

***The next chapter will introduce two of my most favourite SPN characters ever, and I'm super excited!**

***Lu will not leave Dean for Cass!**

***Cass isn't the evil Man of God!**

***And, lastly... Deck the halls with boughs of holy, fa-la-la-la-la lala-la-la XD**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXO**

* * *

The heroic rescue, perhaps fuelled by a need to prove that the loss of Manny was not in vain, had been a resounding success. While the full moon hung high in the midnight sky, a beacon of reprieve, we welcomed four more survivors into our motley family with happily opened arms. To say that we were in high spirits barely scratched the surface of what we were feeling. We were beyond happy, giddy at what these few souls meant for our future. We were fighting back, reclaiming what had been so savagely taken from us.

It meant that we had the chance of actually having a future in this post-apocalyptic wasteland. Of surviving the unnatural onslaught of Infected and breathing life into our dying race.

It meant hope was not dead.

Before the new World had dawned, and Hell was unleashed on America's unsuspecting populace, they had been run-of-the-mill folks breezing their way from one day to the next. Thrust headfirst into the apocalypse, and surviving when so many had not, they became heroes.

Against the toughest of odds, they had survived for months living in a squalid apartment building, rationing what little food they had been able to forage in what remained of New York City.

Francis, bearing a slight resemblance and identical girth to Jack Black, had been an Engineering Professor at NYU; seventeen year old Libby, almost eighteen weeks pregnant to her high school sweetheart, who had died of a burst appendix only weeks earlier, dreamed of becoming the next Erin Brockovich; busty Darla, with her sultry eyes and abundant cleavage, danced at an exotic club called The Blue Iguana; and a Golden Retriever, still wearing a collar that labelled him as Oscar, who had found them only that morning and refused to be left behind. Despite the perils he must have faced, alone in such a horrible environment, he was sweet tempered and in good condition. Someone had been watching over him, his very own Guardian Angel.

They were given fresh, blessedly clean clothes, and fed a meal that would have been fit for a King if such things still mattered. Conversation, that had been running wild since they walked through our door, was temporarily muted as they ate with a heartbreaking desperation.

Dean and I took advantage of the lull to slip away, which we liked to think went unnoticed but was most definitely not, and escape to the seductive seclusion of our suite. One whole day apart…

We had some catching up to do.

As soon as we were through the door, Dean pulled me against him, burying his fingers in my wayward curls and kissing me with such a fiery passion that it reached the very tips of my toes.

"I missed you" he sighed, pressing his forehead to mine, giving me the chance to catch my breath.

The boy could kiss.

"Ditto" I whispered. I lifted the bottom of his shirt and pressed my hands to the inviting warmth of his smooth stomach. His flesh rippled at my touch and I wanted more.

He was a drug, and I was a willing addict. I needed my fix. I was yearning for him, for the feel of our bodies coming together like they had long been destined to.

He kissed me again, gently leading me towards the bedroom. I followed him blindly…Eagerly.

I was ready and willing to lose myself in his burning touch…His fervent embrace…I would immerse myself in his very heart and soul, surfacing only when I had taken my fill.

"You never told me you paint" he grinned as I made short work of his buttons. I pushed his shirt clear from his broad shoulders and let it fall to the floor.

As far as I was concerned, we were wearing far too many clothes, and I was happy to remedy this unfair predicament.

"Oh" I said, gazing up at him. I had forgotten all about the night. Nothing from before he returned, before he came back to me, seemed to hold any meaning now that I was in his arms. "I couldn't sleep. It felt like a part of me was missing when you left and I…I was so scared you wouldn't be coming back"

He stopped, holding my face in his hands and gazing at me with a fierce love that it left me light headed. What had I done to deserve this man? What kindness, what selfless deed had I done in a previous life to be blessed with such a perfect soul mate?

"I will always, _always_ come back to you" he said tenderly. "If you believe nothing else, believe me when I say that nothing will ever stop me from finding my way back to you"

Nodding, suddenly overcome by a wave of tears that stole my words, I clasped my hands behind his neck and pulled him in for a long, lingering kiss.

"So, is there anything else you're not telling me?" he asked when we finally came up for air. His fingers played with the waist of my pants, tight against the swelling of my belly.

"Have I told you that I love you?" I smiled, pressing my lips to the tattoo branded over his heart.

"I think so" he laughed. I offered no fight as he freed me from my t-shirt.

"And that I need you?"

"Sounds familiar" He kicked his boots off without missing a beat.

"And that I want you?" I breathed, pressing my hand to the front of his jeans, eliciting a soft moan from between his perfect lips.

"You'll have to remind me about that one, Princess" he growled, lifting me from the ground and gently laying me on the bed. He lowered himself across me, pressing his lips to the curve of my neck and sending a shiver of excitement up the length of my spine. "You might have to repeat yourself several times…I'm a slow learner"

And I could deny him nothing.

Hours later, we lay together, our arms and legs entwined so that I could no longer tell where I ended and Dean began, pleasantly spent but far from satisfied. We were insatiable.

"Is it sinking in yet?" I grinned, tracing my fingers along the tanned expanse of his thigh.

"Is what sinking in yet?" he teased.

The radio on the nightstand came to life in a burst of static.

"Hey, Dean…Are you busy?" Zeek's voice sounded in the darkness of our room.

With a sigh, Dean reached for the receiver, bringing it to his lips.

"I'm trying" he said, gazing down at me, an unspeakable hunger glinting in his dreamy eyes.

"I…uh…We've…" Zeek stammered awkwardly.

"Spit it out, dude"

"We've had another group of survivors get in contact with us. They're down in Miami and are gonna make their way up here over the next few nights"

"That's great news, Zeek" Dean smiled, but, despite the magnitude of this news, it was easy to see he had other things on his mind.

"That's, uh…That's not all, man" The smile in Zeek's voice was easy to hear, even through the radio. "Another group are holed up at a school in Delaware, and there's three more in Vegas, two in Chicago…Dean, the calls are coming in from everywhere. Thunderbirds are go!"

"Well, you know what this means" Dean said, climbing out of bed and standing gloriously naked in the pale light of the full moon.

I looked up at him, knowing that I would follow him to Hell if he asked me.

"We've got work to do"


	51. Brick By Freaking Brick

**A/N - Many apologies for not getting this out earlier! I had it all written and was going to post it but I didn't think it turned out as good as it could have so I re-wrote it... Forgive me for being such a perfectionist! And thank you all so very much for your loving reviews, it's so very sweet of you all to say such wonderful things! Anywho, I hope you like this update. I know I promised two familiar characters but I could only fit one in for now... The other, or others (???), will be along shortly, I promise! Much love to you all!!!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

Where once our family had been only six, barely eking out a pitiful existence in this Hell on Earth, as the months passed in a dizzying blur and the Fall gave way to a dark and dreary Winter, we were forty-six strong. And as the weeks slipped by, and the year started its descent towards the next, more survivors turned up at our door, each of them seeking a haven against the horrors of the World.

We helped as many as we could, the war we had waged against the Apocalypse finally dipping in our favour as our family grew. They came in from all over the country, each of them fighting desperately to survive every passing day in this new, fucked up World. Some were able to make their way to us on their own, doing well enough to have weapons and working vehicles, while there were a few that needed our help. Dean and the others played their roles as heroic White Knights, and soon our hotel was filled with people from all walks of life, all ages and nationalities, each of them bringing us one step closer to the salvation we all longed for.

Thirty-four adults and twelve children made up our new family.

Nineteen men, fifteen women, and twelve young children to carry on our legacy.

And of those fifteen women, three of us were pregnant.

Sandy, a woman from Poughkeepsie in her late thirties, would give birth within days, while young Libby still had several weeks to go. Both were under the watchful eye of Nurse Addie, who was eager to welcome the newest members of our family into the World without any complications.

At roughly twenty-eight weeks, give or take, I would be next in just a few short months. My son would be the fourth baby born into this new World.

And, because fate could not stop the workings of nature, more would follow.

Brick by freaking brick, we were fighting back. And, as crazy as it seemed, we had a chance, albeit slim, of winning. We had a chance of reclaiming this World for ourselves, and breathing life back into the human race.

There was hope for us yet.

But it hadn't been easy. Staking our claim had not been a walk in the park.

The days and nights were achingly long, the work constant and never-ending. With so many people to clothe, and feed, and be given the chance to enjoy a future, moments of peace and quiet were hard to come by. There was never a day where we could sit back, take a breath and say that the work was done. There was always _something_ that needed our attention; a crisis to amend, repairs to be made, people to save. When we'd finished one thing, another would arise, and another, a vicious cycle that never seemed to end.

There were days where we barely slept, making it through with only a fiery determination and a need to do some good in this World. Each day was a blur of exhaustion and tiresome work. We no longer followed our staunch rule of sleeping the days away and living through the nights. Time held no meaning anymore. We slept when we could, we ate when we could, whether it be day or night.

There were days where I barely saw Dean, where we were both too busy to spare a single moment just for us without being interrupted. I found myself burdened with more nights of sleeping alone while he was out being a Hero, and while it was still painful to be apart from him for so long, I wasn't as afraid as I used to be. And with Castiel quickly becoming the brother I'd never had, seemingly spending more time with me than my own husband, I was never really alone.

So much had changed over the last few months that the World as we had come to know it was barely recognisable. Not only was our family growing with every month that passed, but our home was spreading out and taking more of this city for our own. Francis, the Engineering Professor, had been working with a small team of construction workers to build a fortified wall around the hotel, using existing buildings that had been left standing after the Outbreak and materials they had been able to forage in the wasted remains of the city. It was slow, laborious work, but come rain, hail or shine, they were out there every night doing their bit to aid our survival.

We were going to win this fight. Laws yes, we were going to win.

"There you go, kiddo" I said to the boy that sat quietly on the recently aquired hospital bed before me, applying the fifth, and thankfully last, white butterfly clip to the shallow cut across his bony knee. "All fixed. And see, no stitches, just like I told you"

"Can you kiss it better?" Mikey asked softly, his big brown eyes looking up at me with an innocence that broke my heart. At five years of age, having lost his entire family to the infection, he had seen horrors that no child his age should ever see. "My mommy used to kiss the bloods better"

"Of course I can" I smiled, leaning in to press my lips lightly to the soft flesh of his leg. It was warm and smooth beneath my touch. "How's that?"

"It's OK" he said, bending down to inspect my handiwork. He traced his tiny fingers across the small plastic clips, counting each of them under his breath. "Will I get a scar?"

"A little one, but chicks dig scars, remember?" I laughed, ruffling his baby fine hair. Next to Delia, adorable and pudgy at five months old, Mikey was the youngest member of our family.

"Eww, girl germs" he grimaced, as I helped him down. Full of a boisterous energy, he danced impatiently around the bedroom that served as my workplace. "Can I go now?" There was a whine in his voice that couldn't be ignored.

"Yes, but be…" I started, but he was running out the door before I could finish. I'd put money on the odds that he would be back within the hour for more medical attention. "…careful"

Sighing to myself as I gathered up the paper wrappers, I dropped them into the waste can at my feet and gazed across at the Disney themed mural I had been painting across the walls. This suite, nestled on the first floor between a housekeeping storage room and Ruth's room, had become the infirmary where Addie, Callum and I tended to the many, many injuries that afflicted our family. Thankfully, none had been any more serious than a few broken bones.

A knock at the door drew my attention away from the unfinished forms of Timon and Pumbaa. Castiel stood in the doorway, looking as magnificent as ever in a white shirt and dark suit pants.

"Hey" I smiled, brushing my fingers through my curls. I'd given them a trim several weeks ago and now they reached just past my shoulders. It was the shortest I'd ever had my hair, but I liked it.

It was a Hell of a lot easier to manage.

"I thought you might need this" he said as he stepped into the room, holding out a small bottle of Vegetable Juice.

"How'd you know?" I asked, gratefully taking it from him. I popped the top and took a long drink, finishing it in a single breath. It was warmer than I would have preferred, but it hit the spot like nothing else could.

"I'm starting to learn your ways" he answered with a gentle grin. "You eat more than Dean does, if that is at all possible"

Laughing, I set the empty bottle down on a nightstand and folded my hands across the generous swell of my belly. Deep inside me, my son kicked, and I could feel the pressure of his movements against my hands. Feeling him, stretching and turning, made it all frighteningly real. He was there, healthy and safe and growing bigger every day.

"I _am_ eating for two" I countered as I sat down in a plush blue armchair, propping my tired feet up on a nearby footstool. "Speaking of Dean…Is he back yet?"

He gave me a pointed look.

"You know, as well as I do, that the very moment he gets back he comes straight to you" Cass said, leaning casually against the wall. He was adopting more human behaviours as the weeks went by, and it was endearingly cute. "He adores you"

I smiled to myself, gently running my fingers down the curve of my stomach. I hadn't seen my darling husband for two days. He was in Texas with Sam, Colonel, and the newest member of their boy's club, Bill, a former Sheriff from South Carolina. They were going to the rescue of a family that had taken refuge in a farmhouse for the last few months and were dangerously low on supplies.

We had talked over the radio several hours earlier and he had promised to be home before midnight.

To say that I was eager for him to return didn't even come close to describing the feelings that were boiling inside me. It felt like forever since we'd last been able to spend any quality time together, and I was desperate for some loving.

At the sound of voices outside the room, I looked up.

"I can do it myself, ya idjit" a gruff voice called, and a figure wheeled into view, a blue truckers cap pulled low over his eyes.

I smiled to myself.

He had come into our lives only weeks earlier, having miraculously survived the Outbreak despite being confined to a wheelchair. Both Sam and Dean had shed tears when his voice sounded through the radio, putting out a call for any other survivors in the area. After all, he had been like a father to them.

Bobby Singer.


	52. As Tough As Old Leather

**A/N - Boy oh boy am I sorry that I didn't get this out sooner... I've had family up for the last two weeks and all my time has been devoted to my four year old brother... He's very much exhausting! Thank you so much for your reviews, glad y'all liked that I brought Bobby into the fray, how could I not! Anywho, please do enjoy the new chapter, no real action, but I'm trying to give them as much peace as possible before the shit hits the fan... And, trust me, it will XD**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

Without a word, Bobby wheeled himself through the doorway, struggling over the plush white carpet of the bedroom floor as he manoeuvred himself into my office. The exertion on his face was heartbreaking, and even though Callum stood behind him desperate to lend a hand, he would accept no assistance. Despite everything, he was determined to be as independent as possible, and God help anyone who tried to help him.

He was an obstinate bastard, but there had never been anyone who had garnered more of my respect than he did. To have survived for so long on his own, confined to the wheelchair he despised so much, was beyond miraculous.

He was a Hero. A legend.

Truth be told, it was probably his pig-headedness that had seen him through the Apocalypse. He was too stubborn to give up… to give in. Too stubborn to let the end of the World get the best of him.

I admired him for that.

And in the weeks that he had been with us, helping in the fight against the godforsaken End Of The World, he had become as much a father figure to me as he was to the Winchester brothers. Underneath the gruff exterior of his tough guy façade lay a sweet, caring man with a heart of pure gold. He was a teddy bear.

It was easy to see why he meant so much to the brothers.

"What can I do for you, old man?" I asked with a sly smile, folding my hands across the bulbous swell of my belly. My son gave a solid kick to my kidney, or pancreas, or maybe some kind of intestine, and I could tell he was going to be strong. He was going to be big, and strong, and he was going to kick some serious ass.

Just like his daddy.

"That damn Ernie hit me" Bobby drawled with a hint of frustration in his voice. He lifted the cap from his brow, revealing a gash over his left eye and a thin rivulet of blood that trailed down the side of his rugged face. "Says I've been stealing his water. Damn old coot doesn't know what he's talking about" He pushed his fingers roughly through his hair, letting out a long, weary breath. He was tired.

Hell, we all were. This fight had been long, and hard, and it showed no sign of ending any time soon. A good night's sleep was a commodity far too hard to come by. We were all struggling, but we were determined to keep going. We couldn't give up.

After we had come so far, after we had won so many battles and lost so many good people, we could not give up.

"I don't think it's too bad" Bobby continued. "Nothing to get my panties in a twist about, any how"

Ernie, pushing eighty, was a sweet old man who suffered from occasional bouts of senility-induced paranoia. Usually tottering around with a walking frame, he could be efficiently violent when he was worked up. He had accused almost everyone, including myself, of stealing from his water rations, though it was just a case of him having forgotten that he'd used it to bathe his bad-tempered terrier, Bert.

I shifted my weight in the armchair, and with an unlady-like grunt that drew an amused expression from Castiel, I attempted to haul myself to my feet. But the pillows were too soft and too deep, and my ever-expanding figure was too awkward to manage the seemingly easy feat. I looked up at my Guardian Angel with pleading eyes, and pouted just a little. I wasn't proud to admit it, but I had him wrapped around my little finger.

With a cheeky roll of his eyes, that he had no doubt learned from me, he stepped forward and slipped his hands into mine, gently helping my from the chair. On my feet at last, I leaned against him for a moment to regain my balance, my centre of gravity shifting more and more as my belly grew bigger.

And boy had it grown! I was so big that I barely recognised my body anymore. Long gone was the slender figure that I had been blessed with, replaced by ample curves and a set of boobs to rival Pamela Anderson. I struggled to fit into my clothes, and had taken to wearing Dean's shirts and cut-off shorts with an elastic waistband. And even they were getting too small as they weeks went by.

I was so big that Addie thought it was funny to joke that maybe I was having twins.

I did not find it in the least bit amusing.

The thought of giving birth to just one child was scary enough. I had seen labour first hand, and I could not imagine pushing two babies out of me. The thought alone was enough to make me cringe and cross my legs.

Giving Cass a grateful pat on the shoulder, I stepped across to Bobby and leaned down to inspect the wound. The flow of blood seemed to have stopped, but the cut was deep. The flesh around it was already starting to bruise, and I would bet anything that it hurt like the dickens.

Ernie had clocked him a good one. He sure was a wrinkly force to be reckoned with.

"Looks like you're gonna need a few stitches" I said, straightening and rubbing my aching back. It was just one in a long list of discomforts that were plaguing me. "Let me just get something to numb you up some" I looked across at Callum and Cass, giving them a silent signal to give us some privacy. They both nodded and left the room, closing the door behind me.

"Don't bother with that crap" Bobby said with a dismissive shake of his hand. "Just get it over and done with"

Stubborn, and as tough as old leather.

"OK" I smiled, walking across to the dresser that served as my medical supply closet. After a recent excursion to a hospital several towns over, we were well equipped to deal with any emergencies that might come our way.

I opened the top drawer and found a suture kit. The fact that I knew what a suture kit was, and how to use one, still amazed me. I used to be a humble waitress, baking pies and serving an endless line of customers who thought it was OK to grab my ass as I walked by, and now I was a quasi-doctor. I mended broken bones. I stitched up gaping wounds and treated burns. I diagnosed illnesses and prescribed medicine to cure their ills.

I was doing something important in this World. Something that would actually make a difference.

It felt good.

Moving to sit in a low stool beside Bobby, I spread the kit out across my lap and expertly threaded a thin needle. Nestled in my belly, my son kicked again, and I knew that, when he was old enough, I would teach him everything I knew. I would teach him everything I had learned over these last few months, and everything I still had to learn.

He would have his part in the new World. He would do good when it was his turn to lead the troops into whatever the future held.

"This is gonna hurt" I said honestly, snapping on a pair of gloves.

"Well then, girlie, you'd better get it over and done with" he said gruffly.

Laughing, I quickly pressed the needle through the edges of the gash and drew the thread together, tying the ends off. He didn't even flinch, barely reacting to the sharp pain of the needle poking through the tender flesh. Tough old bastard was damn near invincible.

"And…" I started, tying off the last suture and dabbing the wound with a dark yellow antiseptic. "We are done, my friend. Good as new…Almost"

There was a hint of a smile at my lame joke.

"How're you feeling?" he asked, nodding slightly at my belly.

"Like a freaking whale" I sighed, pulling uncomfortably at the flannel shirt stretched tight across my belly. "Have you seen the size of my ass?"

"You're doing something real brave there, girlie" he said softly, playing with the cap in his hands.

"Brave?" I smiled, rising to my feet and dropping my rubbish into the trash can. "All I'm doing is what Mother Nature intended for me"

"While the World rots around you and demons're breathing down your neck. With everything you're facing, the fact that you're still doing all this good is admirable. I don't know if that husband of yours has told you, but…" He looked up at me with a tender concern in his eyes that touched me deeply. "What you're doing is goddamn brave. And don't let anyone else tell you different"

"Thanks, Bobby" I said, my voice wavering with a sudden rush of emotion. I fought back the wave of tears that had been lurking just below the surface for several months, threatening to overwhelm me when I was happy, sad, angry, and even horny.

Freaking hormones.

Suddenly, the door behind us burst open and just like the Hero from a Hollywood blockbuster, Dean stepped into the room exuding an aura of cool perfection. Wearing only a pair of jeans, a t-shirt with a rude slogan printed across the chest, and his leather jacket, he was so heartbreakingly handsome that for a moment I thought he was a mirage. That my mind, desperate for the physical satisfaction that only he could provide, had conjured him into existence just to tease me.

"Honey, I'm home" he grinned, stepping forward and taking me into his arms. Without further ado, even with Bobby still in the room, awkwardly doing his best to look anywhere but at us, he kissed me with enough passion that I saw stars.

"You're so cool" I breathed when he drew back, light-headed from the muchly-welcomed assault of his perfect lips.

He kissed me again, softer this time, then dropped to his knees before me. Holding his hands to either side of my mountainous belly, he lifted my shirt and pressed his lips to the swell of my abdomen. Nestled safely inside me, our son moved against his father's touch. He knew he was there.

"Hey, little buddy, have you been good to mommy?" he smiled, looking up at me. He was going to be a wonderful father, there was no question about it.

Together, we watched in awe as our son's impossibly tiny hand appeared, pressed through the taut flesh as though reaching out to us. Dean brushed his fingers against the protruding form of our sons hand, and I wondered if he could feel the touch. Nestled under my heart, I wondered if he knew how much we already loved him. His hand lingered for a few heartbeats, then he turned inside me and it was gone.

He was there. He was real.

He was ours.


	53. Living Like Royalty

**A/N - Thank you to all of you who have reviewed this story, I love you all for it! Glad everyone seems to be enjoying it! This chapter turned out a little longer than I expected, so I hope nobody finds it boring... I hope everyone enjoys it, and that you leave your kind words behind for me to read because they always make me feels so awesome!!!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXO**

* * *

With so many people to feed, each needing a hearty meal at least twice a day to keep up with the changing World around us, there was nowhere near enough room to seat us all in the lobby.

Now, a welcome but nostalgically sad move to accommodate our growing family, we ate our meals in the grandeur of the first floor Ballroom, surrounded by heavy velvet curtains, scenic watercolour paintings by an obscure artist, and ornate candelabra lights hanging uselessly from the roof. We sat around circular mahogany tables fitted with lacy white table clothes, eating on delicate porcelain dinnerware and using gleaming silver cutlery.

We were living like royalty, and it felt kind of…wonderful. With Hell reigning down on us, it was nice to indulge ourselves with the finer things in life.

In one of the kingly, high-back dining chairs, regaling the others with my latest parlour trick of balancing my bowl of soup on the tremendous swell of my belly, I sat with my legs draped across Dean's lap and one hand entwined with his.

"They look pretty good, considering" Addie started, looking across the room at where the Echolls family, successfully saved from certain doom in Texas, were heartily enjoying a steaming hot meal. And, given the fact of what they had been through, they were looking healthy and happy.

Mom, Dad, and two little girls welcomed into our midst. Welcomed with open arms and hopeful hearts.

Our numbers now stood at fifty, bringing us one small, but significant, step closer to winning the fight.

"The girls might need some time to get over the things they saw, but they'll be OK" Dean said around a mouthful of bread dipped in thick gravy. A thin line of the dark brown liquid trailed down his chin, unnoticed in the desperation of his ravenous hunger.

"They'll spend some time with Father Michael" I said, reaching out to wipe the gravy from his chin with a paper napkin. He licked his lips, giving me a crooked grin. "He's been doing wonderful work with the other kids"

With his background as a priest, Father Michael had slipped easily in the role of Sheppard, watching over his flock of children. With all the horrors of the World haunting their dreams, he was doing his best to keep them in good spirits, teaching them the Bible and vital information from life before the Outbreak. He was trying to give them as normal a life in the Apocalypse as he possibly could.

"He's asked us to make a run to a library" Colonel said from the other side of Dean. "Wants us to grab him some literature" He poured four glasses of Scotch and passed them to his fellow team-mates for a celebratory round. Sam, happily feeding his beautifully pudgy daughter from a jar of sweet potato flavoured baby food, was the only one who didn't down his. No longer breast-feeding, Addie was happy to do it for him. She gulped it down, let out a harsh gasp at the fiery burn, then held the glass out to Colonel for another round. He obliged with a broad grin.

Leaning back in the chair and attempting to stifle a yawn, I watched my family as they interacted easily with each other, talking, and laughing, and sharing food as though this were any other day in a non-Apocalypse World. So many more people than I even though were still alive…All in the one room. There were so many people that I couldn't remember all of their names. Ruthie, and a middle aged lady by the name of Tabitha, who was a former Member of Parliament, had started up a census to keep track of everyone who walked through our doors. It was smart thinking.

And to get through this in one piece, we had to be smart.

"You feeling alright?" Dean asked gently, running his hand along the curve of my belly. The look of concern in his eyes made my heart skip a beat or two.

"A little tired" I smiled, lifting the bowl from my stomach and straining forward to place it on the table. Seeing my plight, made all the more awkward by my size, Dean took the bowl from my hand and set it down by his empty plate. My Knight in Shimmering Armour.

"I think it's time to put you to bed" he smiled, a playful glint in his eyes that hinted at me not getting any sleep for several delicious, fun-filled hours.

I smiled back, feeling a flush spread across my cheeks.

It had been two very, very long days without him…

We had _a lot _of catching up to do.

The handheld radio, sitting in the centre of the table beside a vase of fake roses, gave a sharp burst of static, and Zeek's voice sounded from the speaker.

"Dudes, I know y'all just got back, but there's a small group of folk in Delaware that need your assistance" His voice was apologetic, and that was probably the only reason none of the guys retorted with a smart-ass comment. They were all tired, and had been looking forward to a night of two of rest.

Dean reached for the radio, letting out a weary sigh.

"That's great, Zeek, but I'd like to enjoy a few hours with my wife before we head on out again" he said, his hand resting across my belly, feeling the gentle movements of our son inside me. "Tell them we'll head off when the night falls"

The others let out an audible sigh of relief at being granted a short reprieve.

"Ten-Four, boss" Zeek said, clicking off the frequency.

"I suggest you all get as much rest as you can" Dean said to the others, standing and helping me to my feet. "This Hero gig doesn't look like it's gonna be letting up for a while, so enjoy the down time while you can"

"Damn straight, brother" Colonel said, winking knowingly at us.

We bid them goodbye, and started the arduous climb up to our suite. Dean was patient with my agonisingly slow pace, wrapping a protective arm around my waist as I huffed and puffed my fat ass up half a dozen flights of stairs. A group of electricians were working on rigging a generator up to the hotel power supply to hopefully provide enough juice to get the elevators running. If they did, and I didn't have to navigate my pregnant self up and down these goddamn stairs, I would, most definitely, be the happiest girl in all the World.

The soft light of dawn was streaming through the window when we let ourselves in, barely making it to the bed before we released ourselves from the confines of our clothes and fell willingly into the swirling void of our passion. We lost ourselves in each other for hours, riding wave after wave of unimaginable pleasure until we both fell into a deep sleep from sheer exhaustion.

When I finally woke, bright shards of daylight were playing across the naked expanse of my belly. Dean, lying across my thighs with one arm cradling the swell of the baby, was talking in a voice too soft for me to hear.

"What are you doing?" I smiled sleepily, brushing messy curls from my face.

"Telling Junior about the time Sammy and I hunted down a seven-foot teddy bear with an alcohol problem and an interest in busty Asian beauties" he answered, looking at me over the mountain that was my stomach. Feet, hands, and elbows were poking out through my pale flesh as our son twisted and tumbled deep inside me, seemingly eager for Dean to continue with his story.

"Charming" I laughed, pulling another pillow under my head. I looked down at Dean, happily telling hunting stories to our unborn child, and wondered for a brief moment what life would have been like if the Apocalypse hadn't ruined life as we knew it. Would I be with Dean? Would I be pregnant with our son?

Despite everything weighing down on us, with Lucifer and the endless supply of the Infected, I was happy. I was 'Stepford' happy.

And, ironically, I had the End of the World to thank for that.

If the Croatoan Virus hadn't been released then I wouldn't have been able to experience the joy of falling in love with Dean, and I wouldn't be happily carrying his son inside me. I would have spent the day rebuffing his lame pick-up attempts and sent him home frustrated.

Even after losing so many people, I couldn't imagine life any other way.

I lay there, listening to Dean as he told our son a dozen hunting stories from before the Outbreak, when it was just him and Sammy against creatures from the wildest of imaginations, until the sun dipped low behind the horizon, flooding the city with darkness. And before I knew it, it was time for Dean to leave again.

"We should only be a few days. Three days at most" Dean said, slipping his feet into his scuffed and stained boots. "I'll call you every morning, and every night, I promise"

"You'd better" I said, curled up beneath a thick, woollen blanket, surrounded by enough pillows to bed an Army.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he leaned in and kissed me gently, then pressed his lips to my stomach.

"Take good care of you Mom, Junior" he smiled, kissing me again. "I'll need her in one piece when I get back, OK?"

"I don't think he needs to know about _that_ just yet, Dean" I laughed, rubbing my belly as our son kicked. I had a feeling that he knew his father was leaving, and he was as happy about it as I was. "Save it until he's old enough to resent us for having sex"

"Deal" Dean grinned, blessing me with one last kiss before leaving.

The room felt hollow without him, and I started counting down the hours until he would be home. Three days. Seventy-two hours. Too many minutes to even comprehend.

Three days until he was back in my arms.

Throwing the blanket back, I eased myself out of bed and pulled on an oversized nightgown as I made my way across to the bathroom to relieve myself. This boy of mine thought it was funny to bounce on my bladder like it was a trampoline.

He had his daddy's sense of humour.

I splashed water on my face, and tied my hair back in a messy chignon, studying my reflection in the mirror for several moments before heading back out into the bedroom. I felt something in the room, something in the air, change, and a shiver worked its way up the length of my spine.

I stopped mid-stride, wrapping my protectively arms around my belly. Whatever it was, it did not feel good.

"Pregnancy suits you" a soft, heartbreakingly familiar voice said from behind me, and I felt my heart freeze. "You're, like, totally glowing"

No. No. No... It couldn't be. There was no way. It was too horrible, too cruel.

Why were they doing this to me?

"You're not her" I whispered, fighting to find my voice.

"What are you talking about, Louie, of course I'm me" she laughed, and it sounded like bells. "Who else would I be?"

"No" I said, trying to make my voice steady but failing miserably. "No. You're not her. You can't be. I…I killed her"

"Did you, like, hit your head or something, 'cause you sound crazy" she said, and I felt her move closer. She sounded the same. She smelled the same.

But it couldn't be her.

It couldn't.

I turned around to face whatever it was that wore my sister's face, and felt my heart shatter into a thousand pieces.

"Hey, Louie" Millie, long dead by my hand, smiled sweetly. "Long time, no see, big sis"


	54. Anyone But Her

**A/N - Thanks eveyone for the reviews, glad you all enjoyed it. Yes, things are going to be getting pretty tense for a while, but I hope you all stick with it and see where it heads. I hope you like this update, and as always, please do continue leaving behind your awesome words coz I love hearing from you!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXOX**

* * *

I was six when Millie came into my life.

Every night for six years I had gone to bed wishing for a little brother or sister of my own. And when the day came that my parents sat me down and said something about the birds and the bees and what happened when a man loved a woman, I knew my wish was about to come true.

I would spend my days pressed to Mamma's belly, feeling for the movements of the tiny baby growing inside her. I would talk to the baby as though it could hear me, reading to it from my favourite books and telling it all the things we would do when it was old enough.

After nine long months, she was finally born, and I loved her from the very first moment I laid eyes on her; a tiny, pink bundle nestled in Mamma's arms. With her face scrunched up, screaming louder than the human ear should ever be subjected to, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. So beautiful, and so perfect. And it was only when she was placed gently into my eager arms that she fell quiet, opening her eyes and looking up at me, and despite her unfocused vision, I knew she saw me. She saw me, and she knew who I was. She was mine, and I was hers. One look into those cornflower blue eyes, the same as my own, and I gave my very soul to her. Breathing in her newborn scent, a mix of wild flowers and honey that she would carry for the rest of her short life, I promised to always be there for her, to always protect her and keep her from harm. It would be the two of us until the end of time.

I never meant to break that promise. When the Infection took hold and I couldn't save her, I wanted to die alongside her. And if Dean hadn't come along when he did, saving me while society crumbled down around us, I probably would have.

"What's the matter, Louie?" the thing that looked like my sister asked, cocking her head to one side and twisting the mask she wore into a whimsical smile. Every feature belonged to my sister, from the soulful eyes identical to my own, and the pouty lips that could bring a grown man to his knees. "You look like you've seen a ghost"

"Stop it" I said through clenched teeth, a flood of tears spilling down my cheeks. The ache in my heart was so sharp that it hurt like a physical pain. I would give anything to be able to see my sister again, to hold her tight and breathe in her scent, to tell her I was sorry and that I loved her so much. But not like this. Never like this. "Whoever you are…_What_ever you are…Just stop it. Please. Don't be her. Anyone but her"

"It's me, dummy" she laughed, tossing her long, gleaming red hair over her shoulder. "Who else would I be?" She looked casually around my room, moving to the dresser and running her fingers across the ornaments I had collected, a quasi-shrine to a World gone by. She picked up a small figurine of a jade Unicorn, and studied the way it glinted in the light. Setting it down again, she turned to me and smiled broadly. "Look at you, rock star, living the high life. Sure is a few steps up from our trailer back home, isn't it, sis"

I looked across to the radio perched on the nightstand, wondering if I could take it and call for Dean before this abomination tried to stop me. He wouldn't have left the building yet, and he'd be up here in a heartbeat at my cry for help, but I couldn't risk the safety of our child.

I would protect him where I had failed with Millie.

"And that husband of yours? Yummy! A butt like that _has_ to be illegal. I am _very_ jealous of you, Louie" She walked across to the bed and sat down, reaching out to touch the Egyptian cotton bed sheets. Looking up at me, her features suddenly turned seductive, and though her face didn't change, she no longer resembled the little sister I had loved so much. "What's he like in the sack?"

"Stop it!" I spat angrily, horrified to see my sister's memory being abused so horribly. "You're not her"

"Oh, alright" she sighed, rolling her eyes dramatically. "This…" She indicated her features, stolen from the one person I had loved more than life itself. "This is just a party trick for your entertainment" She stood and sashayed across the room, flaunting her teenage body provocatively. "I like it. She's so…Nubile"

I turned away, unable to stomach seeing Millie like this. This wasn't her. She was sweet, and innocent, untouched by the brutality of the World. She was perfect.

She was mine…She had been mine.

"Who are you? Why are you doing this to me?" I asked, wiping the tears from my cheeks. Inside me, my son had gone still. He knew this wasn't right. He could feel it the same as I could. "What do you want with me?"

"It's not you I want, Princess" she said, and her eyes settled on my belly. The smile on her face would haunt my dreams for as long as I lived.

Everything fell into place in that moment, and my blood ran cold at the realisation.

Lucifer.

"No" I breathed, wrapping my hands tightly around me belly, trying to protect my son. "No, you can't have him. He's mine"

"Oh, honey" she sighed sympathetically, walking towards me as her features shifted fluidly, revealing the hauntingly handsome visage of _His_ true self. The man they had once called Nick was His vessel now, a man so lost in his own misery that he had agreed to host the Prince of Darkness within himself. "I'm sorry, I am, but he belongs to me. And I will have him"

"Why?" I whispered, willing myself to back away from him. But my feet were rooted to the floor and I couldn't move. "Why him? Why does it have to be him?"

"It was always going to be him, Princess. The son of a Winchester will be more powerful than you could ever imagine" Lucifer said gently, reaching a hand out to brush a loose curl from my eyes. The gesture was so tender that it made me feel sick. "You should be proud of him, he's intended for greatness. He will be my true host and together, we'll see this World into fruition" He smiled down at me, looking almost giddy with happiness. "I thought, at first, that it would be Sam and his beloved who would deliver me to glory, but I was wrong. Their child is weak, she's frail, insubstantial. She could never sustain me, and I have so much to do. But your child, Lulu…Your son, he's strong and he's powerful. He's the one I've been waiting for"

"But he's mine" I whimpered, sounding pathetic even to my own ears. "I can't let you have him…I won't…He belongs to me and I will not let you have him" I was crying again, hysterical. This was the monster who wanted to steal my son from me, and I hated him. A fiery burst of intense hatred flared deep in my belly, and I wondered if it was from my son experiencing a rush of anger at Lucifer's torment.

"Shh" He soothed, laying his hands on my shoulders. I shuddered at his touch. "I'm not as bad as you think. People misunderstand me. They call me Satan, and the Devil, but do you know who I am? I'm an Angel, Lulu. An Angel of God, one of His son's. And my crime? I'm guilty of loving Him too much. He created you all from His image and asked us to love you as His equals. I could not do that. I would not. And for that, He punished me…I loved Him, and He betrayed me. But I will prevail, Lulu. When your child comes screaming into this World, into my arms, I will be unstoppable"

"Please" I sobbed desperately, clutching at His shirt. I wanted to slap him, to beat him with my fists. I wanted to claw his eyes out and watch him bleed. But I could do nothing but plead for the life of my son. "You don't have to do this. Take me. He's just a baby. Take me instead, and leave my son alone. I give you permission to use me, to use my body. You can have it, it's yours. When the time comes, take me…Please, take me"

"Oh, Princess" He sighed, tilting my head to gaze tenderly into my eyes. The World itself seemed to stop as he smiled sadly. "Do you really think you're going to survive this?"

And then he was gone, and I was all alone as ominous shadows danced along the walls, taunting me with their careless ease.

There was nothing I could do to save my son. Just as I had lost Millie, I would lose him.

I would fail again. And I hated myself for it.


	55. I Love You, I'm Sorry, Goodbye

**A/N - Thanks for the stellar reviews my wonderful fans. I'm glad y'all are sticking by me! Yes, the poop has definitely hit the fan and unfortunately it is going to be a bumpy ride from here on in. But, despite that, I hope you all like the recent update.**

**Blessed Be, Amigos! XOXOXOX**

* * *

The night was desolate; the ominous shadows pitch dark and foreboding. There was a biting chill in the air that caressed my bare arms like a sadistic lover, but I barely felt it anymore.

I felt nothing but a brutal despair twisting in my heart like a carving knife.

Sitting out on our private balcony in the luxurious comfort of a plush chaise lounge, my hands folded over my belly, I mourned the loss of my son. He was months away from being born, and I had yet to feel the delicate weight of him in my arms or memorise every inch of his tiny, perfect form, but I was already saying goodbye to him. He still resided in the depths of my womb, safe for now from the horror of the bleak destiny set to befall him, and I was saying sorry.

_I love you, I'm sorry, goodbye…_

What else could I do? I was going to lose him, and there was no way around it.

Lucifer's words hung heavily in the air, haunting me in the wake of his torment, and the despair swirling around me was so thick I couldn't see.

I had no hope of saving my son.

I had no hope of saving myself.

I had nothing left to hope for…I had nothing left to live for…

I would never hold my son. I would never kiss his cheek, or count his toes, or hear his first words. I would never watch his first steps, never watch as he played with his father, never watch him grow into the man he would become...

I would never know him.

"I'm sorry" I whispered as a fresh wave of tears spilled down my frozen cheeks. I hugged my arms around my belly as I heaved with gasping sobs that left me breathless. "I'm so sorry. Please…Please forgive me"

The harsh words of Lucifer, the fallen Angel set to wreak havoc on an already beaten World, played continuously through my mind. Each foul syllable, over and over again in a vicious loop that tortured me, that cut deep into my very soul and left behind a gaping void of darkness.

For months, watching my son grow inside me, feeling his movements as he grew stronger by the day, I had been able to pretend that there was nothing to fear. I had been able to make believe that we were a normal family, just like anyone else excitedly anticipating the birth of our son.

That we would welcome our child into this World, and live happily ever after.

But our life was no fairytale. It was nightmare.

A nightmare orchestrated by the Prince of Lies.

I could still hear his voice, ringing in my ears like the rotten whine of a demonic beast, and his words sent shivers up the length of my spine.

_He belongs to me. And I will have him…_

_It was always going to be him…_

_Do you really think you're going to survive this…_

I gazed out at the distant horizon through a vision blurred by tears, running my fingers up and down the swell of my belly. Inside me, my son had gone still. I hadn't felt him move since Lucifer had revealed himself. He hadn't kicked, or rolled over, or hiccupped.

He knew what was coming. He knew his fate was sealed. And he had given up, just as I had.

"I'm sorry" I breathed, wishing he could have been born to a mother who could save him. Who could give him the long and pleasant life he deserved.

To a mother who never would have put him in this situation in the first place.

I pressed my hands to my belly, willing my son to move, to give me a sign that he hadn't abandoned me along with my hope. After a long, agonising moment, I felt the feather-soft touch of his hand as he reached out for me.

"John" I whispered, speaking his name out loud as he tumbled inside me. We had decided long ago to name him for Dean's father, and for my own. Two great men who deserved to be remembered by the legacy of the Grandson they would never know. "John Nathaniel Winchester. I'm sorry I'll never get to know you. I'm sure you're going to be…" What? What would my son be? I would never know, but I could imagine. What would it hurt to imagine? "Handsome. You're going to be handsome, just like you're daddy. You're going to have his smile, and his eyes, and you're going to be brave. You're going to be so brave, baby…" More tears spilled down my cheeks, and I didn't know if they would ever stop. "And you're going to know how much I love you. Every day you're going to remember that I love you more than anything, and that, wherever I am, I'm watching over you. And you'll know how sorry I am…How sorry I am that I couldn't save you. And even though He will have you, even though He will claim you as his own, I want you to remember that you're mine. No matter what, John…You. Are. Mine"

I couldn't speak anymore as I lost myself to the tears and the sobs that racked my body. The black cloud of despair bearing down on me was so heavy that I couldn't move. I could barely think, so lost in the darkness that I feared I might never find my way out.

I don't know how long I sat there, shivering in the cold of the night and crying until there were no more tears to cry. It hadn't been so long ago that I was happy, sitting with Dean and our family, laughing and enjoying myself. But with everything that had happened since then, it felt like a lifetime had passed me by.

And I couldn't imagine ever being happy again.

Climbing stiffly to my feet, I stretched lazily in a half-hearted attempt to ease the ache that had settled deep in my muscles. The pain felt good in that moment. It meant I could still feel something.

Sliding open the massive glass doors, I stepped into the bedroom and was immediately enveloped by a refreshing warmth. Taking a deep, shaky breath, I walked across to the bed and reached for the handheld radio.

It was set to Dean's frequency.

It was always set to Dean's frequency.

"Dean" I said into the mouthpiece, my voice wavering so that it came out as barely a whisper. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Dean?"

One heartbeat…

Two…

"Hey, baby" He sounded tired, and I wondered briefly where he was.

"Dean, you need to come home" I said softly, sitting down on the edge of the bed. My teeth were chattering, but it wasn't from the cold anymore. "I need you to come home"

"Lu, I miss you, like you wouldn't believe" he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "But we're almost in Jersey, and we've got people depending on us. I'll be home soon, I promise, and I'll make it up to you…As many times as I need to"

I wished I could flirt back, teasing him with lurid promises that would leave him breathing heavily. I longed for life to be that carefree again.

"He was here, Dean"

There was a heavy moment of silence as the World came crashing down around us.

Nothing would ever be the same again.

"Who?"

"Lucifer" I whispered, and I was crying again, clutching my belly as I sobbed uncontrollably. "He was here and he's going to take our son, Dean. We're going to lose him…"

I heard the sharp squeal of the Impala's tyres as he turned the car around without even touching the brakes. He forgot all about playing the Hero, pushing the thought of helpless survivors far from his mind in his desperation to get back to me.

And for the first time, I didn't care about anyone else. Compared to my son, their lives were insignificant, pointless.

As far as I was concerned, they could all rot in Hell.


	56. Somebody Was Coming

**A/N - Thanks for the reviews, my lovely followers! I sure do love to hear from you all!!! Glad you're all liking the story so far, and that you've got enough faith in it to keep reading! I hope you like the next chapter, things are gonna change big time soon but I hope you'll stick by me. As always, please continue leaving your reviews coz they make me sing and dance, which usually means I look like an idiot in front of strange people. **

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

Darkness gave way to vibrant shades of dawn as another day was thrust upon us, bringing us one-step closer to the horrifying inevitable.

I hadn't moved from where I sat on the edge of the bed, staring intently at our _Finding Nemo_ alarm clock as the minutes slowly bled into hours, and Dory chased Marlin from number to number. When the alarm was activated, pointless these days since we had no schedule to stick to, the comical voice of Dory, singing "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming…" would fill the room. Some days, I would set the alarm for random times during the day or night, just to remember what life used to be like.

Dean had found it in a novelty store a few towns over, and knowing how much I loved the movie, he brought it back to give to me on our two-month wedding anniversary, along with a black silk teddy that was more for his enjoyment than my own. My present to him had been a record player and several classic rock records I'd bribed Colonel into finding for me. We stayed up all night, listening to AC/DC and Metallica, feeding each other plump strawberries from Elena and Miguel's thriving gardens, and making love like amorous teenagers on Prom Night. It had been a perfect night.

It was also the first time we felt our unborn son move, a soft fluttering from deep inside me while AC/DC asked us if we wanted blood. We sat there together, our hands pressed to the swell of my belly, feeling each kick and elbow as he tumbled inside me. Feeling him like that, like nothing I ever could have imagined, made it all so real. He was real, and as the days passed by, he was getting stronger. He had a heartbeat, fingernails, a working nervous system… He had a soul.

He was ours.

It had been a perfect night, and we had been happy.

I couldn't imagine ever feeling that way again.

With Lucifer set to steal my son from my womb, leaving me to die what I could only imagine would be a slow and agonising death, what exactly did I have to be happy about?

My son gave a sudden, solid kick, stealing the air from my lungs and setting my flesh alight with goosebumps. Standing fast enough to induce an unpleasant head spin, I pressed my hands to my belly and glanced across at the front door of our suite. My heart pounded painfully in my chest.

Someone was coming.

Someone was coming for my son.

They were going to slice me open and pull him, bloodied and crying and heartbreakingly tiny, from the gaping wound that left my insides spilling on the floor. I would die slowly in a pool of my blood, and my son's name would be the last word I breathed.

Dean would never meet his son…

"No" I whispered, as something inside me snapped.

I was being weak… Helpless. Where was the Warrior Princess I had become? Where was the strong girl who had survived for months in a World gone to Hell? I used to be strong, and brave, and here I was giving in… Here I was giving up without a fight. It was pitiful and pathetic and I wouldn't stand for it any more.

This baby was mine. He belonged to me.

And no one, not even the Goddamn Prince of Darkness, was going to take him from me.

I reached under the bed for the shotgun Dean kept there in case of emergencies, loaded with rounds of rock salt and iron fragments to take care of any nasties that might come our way. I knew it would have no effect on Lucifer, but it might slow him down long enough for me to think about what to do next.

"It's you and me, Johnny" I said softly, cocking the gun and bringing it to my shoulder. My son kicked me gently, almost reassuringly. He believed in me, and that gave me the courage face what was coming. "You and me against the World"

Footsteps thundered down the hallway, and I held my finger steadily against the trigger. I was ready… I was stalwart, and true. Nobody was taking my son from me.

Whoever it was, they were coming fast. There was a purpose in their movement that frightened me. But I didn't falter.

I was ready.

One breath…

Two…

The door was flung open hard enough that it almost came off the hinges. It swung back with a loud bang, crashing into the wall and sending chunks of plaster across the carpet. Several paintings fell from the walls with a clatter as the glass panes smashed into a million pieces.

My finger strained against the trigger, but something gave me pause. It was the way my heart skipped a beat, the way my unborn son stilled that told me there was no danger.

Only love…

Dean stood in the doorway, fear and concern etched across his handsome face, and for the longest time, I couldn't breathe.

Then a sob escaped my lips, and the shotgun fell uselessly to the floor.

He said nothing, a single tear tracing a lonely pattern down his cheek as he regarded me, looking so despondent that I barely recognised him. Only hours had passed since he'd left, but it felt like days. And so much had changed.

"I'm sorry" I whispered. "I'm so sorry"

He crossed the room in a heartbeat, taking me into his arms and burying his face in my neck as I sobbed uncontrollably. He was my rock, my strength when I was weak, holding me together when I was on the brink of falling to pieces. I would be lost without him.

We stood there with our arms wrapped around each other, our son nestled between us, as we struggled to come to terms with the horrors we were facing.

"What did He say?" Dean asked softly.

"He said that our son belongs to Him" I hiccupped, pressing my face into to reassuring warmth of his chest, breathing in the smell of him. "That He's been waiting for him. He said that the son of a…" I stopped, not wanting to say the words that would break his heart, and ignite a fury I wasn't sure he would come back from.

"What?" he asked, pulling back and looking down at me.

"It was nothing" I said, stepping away from him. I ran my hands down the curve of my belly, following the fluid movements of our son. I could almost feel his happiness at having his daddy back. I wondered if he knew how much the truth was going to hurt Dean. I wondered if he knew what this news meant for us.

"Lu, don't" he said through clenched teeth, his tone firm and commanding. "What did He say?"

I took a deep, shaky breath, looking into his eyes and hating myself for the words I spoke.

"He said that the son of a Winchester will be more powerful than we could ever imagine. It's why He wants him"

The expression of pain and anger that flickered across his face broke my heart.

He took several steps back, running his fingers roughly through his hair. His eyes glinted with a feral rage that chilled me to the bone.

"Dean, please…" I said, trying to calm him down before he exploded.

"This is happening because of me" he said in a voice that didn't belong to him. "This is my fault"

"No" I said gently, reaching out for him. I touched my fingers to his arm, but he pulled away and spun around to face the crib he had lovingly pieced together for me all those months ago. "Dean, please. None of this is your fault. There's no way we could have known"

He looked at the crib, at the stuffed toys lined up across the mattress, and I could see the tension pulsing through his entire body.

This was not going to end well.

He reached for a crow bar, propped against the wall after having been used to wrench open several particularly stubborn windows, and hefted it in his hands.

"Dean…" I breathed, but I could already see what was going to happen and knew I couldn't stop it.

With an anguished cry, he lifted the crowbar over his head and brought it down on the wooden bars of the crib. And again. And again, sending large splinters and pastel puppies flying across the room. He was in a fury, blinded by anger as he destroyed the symbol of our family. When all that remained was a pile of kindling, he threw the crowbar across the room and smashing the huge antique mirror that hung in the living area. Seven years bad luck, or some bullshit like that.

"Dean, please" I cried, taking him by the shoulders and turning him around. "Please don't do this"

He turned to face me, a river of tears streaming freely down his flushed cheeks, and fell to his knees before me, pressing himself to my belly.

"Why are they doing this to me?" he cried, looking up at me. "After everything they've already put me through… I've lost everyone I've ever loved, and now I'm going to lose you…" He held his hands to the bulge of my stomach. Our son kicked at his touch. "And him. I've been to Hell and back, and now this… What have I done to deserve this?"

I looked down at him, at my Hero of a husband falling to pieces at my feet, and I wished I could answer his questions. I wished I could find the words to comfort him the way he had for me so many times before.

"This is not your fault" I said firmly, taking his face in my hands and staring into his eyes as a fiery resolve burned deep inside me. "I don't care what that son of a bitch said, we're saving our son, you hear me. He's not gonna get his filthy hands on this child"

And this time, I would keep my promise.

Even if it killed me.


	57. We Couldn't Give Up

**A/N - Thank you everyone who has been reviewing, Goddess bless the lot of you! I'm so glad there are so many people reading this story, it make me feel super awesome to know that people like my work! Sorry that it took so long to get this chapter out, I've spent the last few days celebrating my birthday. Currently, I'm still in the process of recovering, but I really wanted to get this out. I sure do hope you like it!!!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

Dean sat quietly on the sofa, staring blindly at the wall as he played with the tiny AC/DC booties I had given him to announce my unexpected pregnancy. He had been unnervingly quiet since his breakdown, speaking only a few words to Sam to explain his hasty retreat. Not wanting to concern the others with the sudden appearance of Lucifer and His ominous threats, Dean lied and said that I'd had a scare, thinking I was going into early labour. And just to be on the safe side, he was going to stay behind and keep an eye on me. It wasn't so far from the truth, and it would keep the hysteria at a minimum until we knew what we were going to do.

Sitting at the dining table, a woollen shawl wrapped around my shoulders in an attempt to stave off the gloomy chill of the room, I watched Dean brood, worried that he was falling to pieces when I needed him to be strong. I was scared, too, terrified at the thought of what was coming our way, but we needed to be strong if we were going to save our son.

Inside me, I felt his gentle movements, the press of his hands and feet, and knew that I couldn't give up.

We couldn't give up.

This was our child. Our son. And after everything we had faced, everything we'd seen and done to make it through the horrors of the Apocalypse, there was no way we were going to lose him.

Pushing the chair back from the table, I stood and walked across to the sofa, sitting down beside Dean. He didn't even look up. He had always been the strong one, the one keeping it together while everything fell down around us. And now, he was so lost in sorrow and darkness that I feared he might never crawl his way out. It broke my heart to see him like this, to see him give up and resign himself to the prospect of losing our son.

"Dean" I whispered, reaching out to slip my hand into his. His fingers curled around mine, but he still didn't look at me, his steely eyes not leaving the wall. I loosened his fingers and pressed his hand to the swell of my belly, to where he could feel the steady 'bomp-bomp-bomp' of our unborn son's heartbeat. "Dean, please…"

He turned his head to look at me with sad eyes, and I wished that I could take away the pain. After everything he had done for me, saving me when I needed him the most, I wished I could do the same for him.

"Don't you give up on me" I said softly, cupping my hand to the side of his face, feeling the rough rasp of his unshaven jaw against my palm. "You're my Hero, remember? My Knight in Shimmering Armour. I need you to stay strong, OK? That son of a bitch is not taking our baby from us, but I can't fight him on my own… I need you"

Letting out a shaky breath, he lowered his eyes to where his hand was pressed against my belly, rubbing his thumb against the tiny bulge of our son's hand reaching out for us. It was as though he were pleading with his father to help him.

To save him.

"We have to leave" Dean said gently, lifting his eyes to mine. His face was shadowed with a sudden determination, and he was my brave, fearless husband once more. "As soon as possible, we have to get away from here"

"Where will we go?" I asked, entwining my fingers with his. I trusted him enough that I didn't need to ask why. If he asked me, I would follow him to the very depths of Hell and not once question his motives. "Where can we run that He won't find us?"

"I don't know" he sighed, laying his head on my shoulder, hugging his arm around my belly. "All I know is we can't stay here. We're sitting ducks here, and we'll be putting everyone's life in danger if we stay"

"We can't tell them" I said, fighting against the intense sadness that washed over me at the thought of leaving our family, our home. But if meant saving our son, I would do it a hundred times over. "They can't know why we're going. They can't know where, or why, or He'll use it against them"

"I know" Dean said. He lifted his head to look my in the eye, and my breath caught at the sadness burning in their soulful depths. "Lu, we can't tell them we're leaving. Sam, especially, will try to stop us, and I can't risk losing him again. I know how much it's gonna hurt, but Lu, we can't say goodbye"

"We… We can't…" I blinked back a wave of tears, my heart clenching painfully. We couldn't say goodbye to our family. We had all been together for so long, but we couldn't say goodbye. To save our son, we had to hurt those we loved. As heartless as it sounded, it would be worth it if it meant saving our son. Wiping a lone tear from my cheek, I gave a resolved nod. "It's… It's Christmas in two days… Can we at least stay until then. Everyone's so excited and I don't want to ruin it for them. Please…"

There was a long moment of silence as he regarded me, reaching out to tuck a loose curl behind my ear. The entire hotel had been excitedly talking about Christmas for weeks. It would be our first since the World ended, and we all wanted it to be perfect, especially for the children.

We couldn't leave before then. It would destroy them.

"OK" he said finally. "It'll take a few days to get everything together, but it has to be that night. The longer we delay it, the worse it'll be. I'm sorry, Lu, but it has to be this way"

"I know" I said with a sad, shaky smile. "I know. But it doesn't make it suck any less"

He leaned in and pressed his lips softly to mine.

"The two of us against the World, just like it used to be"

"Not this time" I whispered, running my fingers down the slope of my belly. "It's the three of us now"

As if to prove my point, our son gave a solid kick.

"He's getting strong" Dean murmured.

"He's gonna be just like his daddy"

We sat there, hands pressed to my belly, feeling the strength and power of our son. I knew, just like his daddy, he was going to be magnificent.

I couldn't wait to meet him.

There was a sudden thrum of wings that echoed through the suite, and Castiel was standing before us. His expression was grave, his eyes dark and soulful.

"He was here" he said softly. The concern in his voice was touching. He was our family, and despite being an Angel who was not meant to feel any kind of emotion, he loved us.

"He was" I whispered, looking up at him. "And it's bad, Cass… It's real bad"

"Lu and I are leaving" Dean said, giving my belly a gentle pat and standing up. "We can't let that bastard get his hands on our boy, so we're leaving"

"Where will you go?" Cass asked, looking from me to Dean. He was worried for us.

"No Goddamn clue" Dean said with a humourless laugh. "I have no idea if we can hide from him, but we have to try. We have to…" He stopped, looking fiercely at Cass. "What about those symbols you carved into me and Sam's ribs. If you do it to Lu, will it keep Him from finding her?"

"I don't know" he answered gently. "Even if it did, it wouldn't be the answer. The baby is too small, too fragile. I could mark Lu, but not him, and He would still find her"

Dean pushed his hands roughly through his hair.

"There has to be somewhere" I said to the both of them. "There has to be somewhere out there where we'll be safe. There has to be somewhere where He won't be able to find us"

Dean lifted his head, and a smile spread across his lips.

"There is. There's one place out there that's the safest I know. If there's anywhere we can beat this, I know where it is"

"Where?" I asked breathlessly. There was a spark of hope amongst all this darkness, and I grasped desperately at it.

We had to save our so, Goddamnit. We had to.

"South Dakota" he smiled. "Bobby's house"


	58. Our Salvation

**A/N - Thank you for the wonderful reviews, loyal readers! And thank you for being so patient with me. I haven't been able to update as often as I'd like to and I can't tell you how touching it is to know that you're all still reading this story! I realise it's painfully long, but I do hope you'll continue to read along with me, and always, plese keep leaving behind you're awesome reviews coz they make me feel super special! This update is really just a filler, but I still hope you like it!**

**Blessed Be! XOXOXO**

* * *

The glowing sun disappeared behind the horizon, blanketing the city in sombre shadows and bringing another precious day to an end. As the darkness took over once more, the Infected were driven back to their hovels for another night of ghoulish dreams, and we were granted a few hours of blessed peace.

The full moon, fat and pale, hung high in the endless expanse of midnight sky as we made our way down to the Ballroom. We were quiet as we walked hand-in-hand down the stairwell, emotionally exhausted from everything that had happened throughout the day. One day. Only one day had passed, but so much had changed with the lifetimes supply of tears that had been spilled.

We had talked for hours, planning how we would leave this hotel… The hotel that had been our home for almost a whole year in this new, horrific World. We talked about how we would leave it behind, how we would leave our family without the mercy of saying goodbye. Just thinking about it hurt more than I could bare, and I didn't know how I would survive when the time came. There was no way of knowing if we would ever see them again, if we would even make it through the coming months.

But we had to save our son. And it was the thought of holding him in my arms that kept me from falling to pieces.

We would leave on Christmas night, slipping away in the shadows while those we loved and held dear celebrated the Hallmark holiday of Christ's birth. While they were toasting each other to surviving where others could not, laughing and sharing gifts as though the World had not gone to Hell around us, we would leave and not look back, making our way west to what we hoped would be our salvation.

I had never been to Bobby's house, only hearing about it from Sam and Dean's tales of supernatural suspense and rollicking adventures. In his former life, far removed from what it was these days, he had owned and operated his own salvage yard. His house, a modest split-level that had seen better days, was surrounded by cars in varying stages of rust and dismantlement, a grease monkeys wet dream. According to the brothers, each room was filled with occult objects, arcane weapons, and countless books about witches and demons and wondrous beasts that should exist only in the most macabre of imaginations. It was in one of these dusty books that Dean hoped to find all the answers to saving our son.

But it was what Bobby had built in the basement that would hopefully be our saving grace.

He'd had a free weekend, apparently, and painstakingly constructed a ghost-and-demon-proof panic room. It was made of solid iron embedded with salt, surrounded by Devil's Traps and other protection symbols, and decorated with a black and white poster of Bo Derek from the movie '10'.

It had saved Bobby during the long months he'd had to survive on his own, confined to the frustrating restraints of his wheelchair, and now we hoped it would save our son.

With no clue as to how we could defeat Lucifer Himself and bring our child safely into this World, it was our only chance.

Ruth greeted us warmly as we stepped into the near empty Ballroom, ushering us to an empty table in the corner of the magnificent room. We had missed dinner, but there might still be some leftovers if we were lucky.

"I wasn't expecting you home for another few days, Dean" she smiled, smoothing down the collar of his flannel shirt like a fussy mother.

"Lu had a bit of a scare" Dean said simply, reaching out to slip his hand into mine. It was the understatement of the century, but she didn't need to know that. "And I'd rather be here with her, than out there worried sick"

"Oh, child" she gasped, clutching her hand to her chest and looking down at me with an expression of fear and concern. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes" I said, forcing a smile as I rubbed my belly. "Just first time jitters, is all. It's kinda silly, really"

"You take it easy, you hear" she said, running her fingers gently through the lose curls framing my face. Her touch was so tender that it made me want to cry. "Don't give no mind to anyone else, just focus on this baby of yours" She patted my belly with a loving affection, and my son moved against her touch.

I would miss her. I would miss the way she fussed over us, the way she loved us as though we were her own children, caring for us when we couldn't care for ourselves. She had been like a mother to us all during these hard times, and it was hard to imagine life without her. I could only hope that she would forgive me, and understand why we had to do what we were about to do.

I hoped they'd all forgive us, and welcome the three of us back with open arms…

…if we survived.

"I will" I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I wanted to bury myself in her arms, and take comfort in her maternal embrace as I cried.

She gave our entwined hands a reassuring squeeze, then left with the promise of bringing back a hot meal even though she had just prepared dinner for over forty people and was well deserving of a break. As always, she was more worried about us than herself.

She was truly amazing.

I watched her walk away, humming a hymn of some sort, and tried not to think about how hard it was going to be to leave them all behind.

"Hey" Dean said softly, bringing my fingers to his lips. "It's going to be OK"

"Not really" I said with a sad smile. "They're our family, and we're gonna hurt them when we leave without so much as an explaination"

"I know" he sighed wearily. "But…"

"No, I know, I do. I know why we're doing it, it's just…" I took a deep, shaky breath, glancing across the room at the people who had stayed back after dinner. They were happy. Laughing and smiling, not a care in the World as they shared life stories over a bottle of Jack Daniels. "With everything we've done to save them all, it seems so unfair to abandon them. What if something happens to them. What if _He_ comes back and…"

"Cass is gonna watch over them" Dean interrupted. "And Sam and Bobby can take care of anything that comes their way" He reached out to run his fingers along the curve of my stomach, a small smile spreading across his lips at the strong movements of our son. He looked across at me, love and concern burning brightly in his eyes. "To be honest, I'm more worried about keeping the two of you safe. I finally have everything I've ever wanted, and even though it took the Goddamn Apocalypse to find you... to have you and this baby, there's no way I'm giving up without a fight"

Smiling, I met his gaze. I loved him like I had never loved anyone ever before, and as long as we had each other I knew we'd make it through this. The Beatles had it right when they said that all you needed was love. We loved each other, and we loved our son.

And, Heaven help us, we would survive.


	59. We Would Get Our Happily Ever After

**A/N - Thanks for the reviews loyal readers! Sorry for the delay but I've been busy getting my horse ready for another camping weekend. Heading out bush for a few days, but I'll try to update again as soon as I can. This chapter is light on the action, but only because the next one is going to be pretty vicious, so I thought I'd give you a final few moments of peace before the blood shed. As ever, please enjoy, and as always, please keep leaving behind your glorious words!!!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

Another day dawned, just like a thousand before it, igniting the sky with a vibrant rainbow of colours as the Infected emerged from the shadows to haunt the lonely streets. They stumbled around abandoned cars and over the rotting bodies of their former comrades, paying no attention to anything other than their brutal desire to eat and destroy. There were less of them now, their numbers dwindling as we killed more of them with each day that passed, claiming more of the city for our own.

Standing at the bedroom window, gazing down at the feral remnants of humankind, I realised that the sight of them didn't frighten me as much as it used to. My heart didn't beat furiously in my chest, my hands no longer trembled, there was no fiery nausea burning deep in my belly…

I had become so used to their presence that the mind-numbing fear just wasn't there anymore.

I had faced Lucifer himself. I had felt the icy touch of his flesh against my own, and I was facing the loss of my child and myself at his very hands… That was something worth fearing.

These pitiful excuses of humanity… These abominations stalking the wasted ruins of a once glorious nation… They were nothing compared to what was coming our way.

I didn't understand how something as simple as a virus could bring the World to its knees. A little bit of blood, a dash of sulphur, and the human race was decimated…

It was unfair.

Ridiculous, and unfair.

"You OK?" Dean asked, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around the swell of my waist. He could barely clasp his hands together I was so big.

Two of the Infected, an old man with a horrible limp and a girl wearing the tattered remains of a cheerleading uniform, collided. Both took a step back, barely registering the presence of the other, then ran into each again.

This was what we had been so afraid of?

This was what had us cowering in the shadows when the sun came out?

They were mindless freaks, and it was stupid to be so frightened of them. Not when there were things out there a hundred times worse. Things more deserving of our fear.

"They're kind of pathetic, aren't they" I said softly, laying my hands over his and leaning back against him. He was tall, and broad, and warm, and I wanted to stay in his embrace until the End of Days. Which, given current circumstances, would probably be sooner than anyone could imagine. "With everything else out there, they're just… They're pathetic. Insignificant"

He pressed his face into the curve of my neck, and I could feel the beat of his heart against my back. Unsurprisingly, it seemed to beat in time with my own. Two halves of one whole.

"They can't last forever" he murmured. But we didn't know if there was any truth to it.

And even if they did die out, there were plenty of other nightmares waiting in the wings, ready to step up to the plate and take a swing at what remained of the human race.

"We'll be safe out at Bobby's, right?" I asked, running my fingers nervously along the length of his bare arms. We would be leaving in little more than a day, and time seemed to be moving too fast. Night had faded into day in a heartbeat, the hours slipping by, one after the other, and sleep had proved elusive. We were both tired, but neither of us could sleep. Not now. Not with everything going on around us. "We'll be safe from them, and all the other fucked up things out there… Right?"

"I can't think of anywhere safer" Dean said gently, hugging me closer. Inside me, our son had fallen still, resting peacefully even though we couldn't.

"And we're doing the right thing" It wasn't a question. I needed to hear it. With each minute passing us by, I needed to hear those words so that I wouldn't stop believing them.

He loosened his hold on me, turning me around so that I was facing him, and gently ran his fingers through my curls. The smile playing on his lips was soft, and sweet, and reassuring.

As always, it calmed the deepest of my fears.

Without saying a word, he leaned in and pressed his lips softly to mine.

"We're doing the right thing" he repeated.

And I trusted him. Of course I did. I had followed him for all this time and never once had he done wrong by me. He had saved me when no one else could, and I knew he would do the same for our son. Dean was the Hero of this epic tale, and the Hero never failed. The Hero always slayed the ghastly dragon, and defeated the nefarious bad guy in time to save the beautiful Princess. And together, they would ride off into the sunset to live happily ever after.

He was my Hero, and I was his Princess…

And we would get our happily ever after.

We had to.

Smiling up at him, I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and pulled him in for a long, lingering kiss. He returned it hungrily, and the passion in his touch was almost enough to make me forget everything.

A sudden knock at the door interrupted us.

Pulling away, Dean let out a frustrated groan. I had a feeling that a part of him was secretly looking forward to the privacy we would have at Bobby's house. Even with the threat of Lucifer hanging over our heads like the glinting blade of a guillotine, it would be kind of nice having some time to ourselves again.

Because, as much as I was loathe to admit it, these next few weeks could be our last, and I didn't want to waste them.

I wanted to be with Dean. Only Dean.

"What?" he called, his voice hard and unforgiving.

"Sorry, guys" came the apologetic voice of Addie as she let herself into out suite. Delia, looking more and more like Sam every day, was resting on the jut of her mothers hip. Her cherubic features lit up as soon as she saw her Uncle Dean, and she held her hands out to him.

"There's my girl" Dean grinned, softening as he walked across to them. He took Delia into his arms and lifted her high over his head, eliciting a peal of laughter that rang through the room like bells. The two of them were kindred spirits. Delia would always be a daddy's girl, she had had Sam wrapped firmly around her pinkie finger, but she and Dean shared something special.

Addie smiled at them, then looked across the room at me and held my gaze. There was something in her expression that gave me pause, her pretty features shadowed with concern.

"Dean, do you mind giving us a minute?" she said, her eyes not leaving mine. Her voice was soft and gentle, but I could hear the seriousness in her tone.

Dean looked at each of us, holding a giggling Delia against his shoulder. He knew something was going on, but he was smart enough not to come between it.

"I could use some breakfast" he said. He pressed his lips to Delia's cheek, and with a quick glance back at me, the two of them left.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly, rubbing my hands across my belly as I turned to gaze out the window again. The Infected still wandered the streets aimlessly.

"I just spoke with Sam" she started, moving to stand beside me. "He said you thought you were going into early labour. That you thought there was something wrong with the baby"

"It was nothing. I just freaked out is all…" I said lightly, forcing a smile.

"Nothing? You called Dean back, but you didn't think it was important enough to come and see me?" She sounded hurt and angry, and I couldn't blame her. We were lying to her, to all of them, but it was for their own good. They couldn't know what was going on, it would only put them in danger. "Lu, what's going on?"

"Nothing" I said as I turned to face her, my eyes pleading with her to believe me. To trust me. "I'm fine… We're fine"

She regarded me silently for a long moment. Finally, she nodded.

"OK" she sighed. "But, please, if anything happens… _anything_… just let me know"

"I will" I said, resting my hands over my belly. My son gave a gentle kick, and I knew that what we were doing was the right choice.

It was the only choice.

There was another knock at the door, and Callum burst into the room, almost tripping over his own feet. His hands were slick with blood, and his features were ashen. He looked panicked.

"What is it?" Addie breathed.

"Sandy's gone into labour" he gasped, his voice wavering.

I looked at the blood dripping from his fingers, staining the white carpet, and knew it was bad.

With all that blood, it couldn't be good.


	60. There Was So Much Blood

**A/N - Thank you ever so greatly for your awesome reviews, my awesome fans! I sure do love hearing from you all!!! Sorry this one took so long to come out, we stayed out bush for longer than planned, and then when I got back home, I came down with the flu! Major suckage!!! Anywho, I finally got around to writing it. I sure do hope you all like this newest update, and that you won't hate me for the way this story is going. There is reason behind all this madness, I promise! As always, please keep leaving behind your ever awesome reviews because hearing from you all means the World to me!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

Blood.

There was so much blood. Too much blood.

Coming into the room behind the others, my bare foot slipped in a puddle of cold blood and I almost fell. It was only Callum's quick thinking and strong arms that kept me on my feet.

"Jesus…" I gasped, greeted by the vicious horrors before me. It was enough to steal my breath as icy cold fingers of dread curled tightly around my lungs. "Holy Hell…"

The room looked like something out of a horror movie. Like something from the twisted mind of Quentin Tarantino come to life. A nightmare from the darkest depths of Stephen King's morbid imagination.

There was so much blood.

A line of it was spread along the wooden floor of the bedroom like a macabre bread trail. Bloodied handprints had been smeared across the walls, telling the story of a frightened desperation. It was everywhere…

The pungent stench of it, mingled with the scent of sweat and fear, clung to the shadows, and I doubted the room would ever be completely clean again.

There was so much blood, and no good could come from it.

Sprawled across the bed, blood flowing thick and fast from between her legs, Sandy writhed in agony, screaming and crying, begging for the pain to stop. I saw her, lost in pain and despair, and I wondered how in the name of God we could save her.

"What's happening?" I asked, my entire body trembling with fear. It wasn't meant to be like this. Birth was meant to be precious, and beautiful, and poignant. Not like this… Never like this.

This was torture.

"I don't know" Addie breathed, stepping around the congealing puddles of blood as she made her way to the bed. Her steps were short, and hesitant. She was scared.

We all were.

Drenched with sweat and tears, Sandy reached out and grasped Addie's arm with a tense desperation. Her ashen face was contorted in a horrible visage of agony.

"Something's wrong" she gasped through gritted teeth, not releasing her death grip on Addie. "This doesn't feel right, doc. There's something wrong with the baby"

"I know" Addie said, lifting Sandy's nightshirt and pressing her hands to the mountainous swell of her belly. It was stretched tight against the rolling wave of cramps pulsing through her body. "I can't feel the baby. I think… I think it's stuck…"

Sandy screamed as another contraction ripped through her tortured body, spilling a fresh torrent of blood across the already stained bed sheets. There shouldn't be this much blood.

Something was oh so very wrong.

"You've gotta get it out of me" Sandy screamed, her body trembling and arching around the vicious cramps as it tried to force the baby out into the World. "Please, get it out. Get it out NOW! It's tearing me APART!"

Her screams echoed through out the room, as sharp and grating as fingernails against a chalk board. Her room was on the fourth floor, but there was no way the others weren't hearing this.

"What are we going to do?" Callum asked frantically, pushing his bloodied hands through his hair, leaving thick streaks or red across his forehead and ears.

"We need to do a Caesarean" Addie said firmly, looking from me to Callum. Her face was set in a hard line, but I could see the glint of fear burning in her eyes.

"We can't" I breathed. "We don't have the resources. We're not prepared to do something so invasive. She could bleed out, she could go into shock, she could…"

"If we don't do something they're both gonna die" Addie yelled. I had never seen her so scared. She was meant to be cool, calm and collected. She was meant to be fearless.

"OK" I nodded, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on her arm. I needed her to be strong. We all needed for her to be strong now if we wanted to give Sandy and her child a chance at surviving this. "Tell us what to do"

She chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip, watching as Sandy grunted and groaned, seeming to collapse into herself with each contraction that ripped through her. She was fading, and we would lose her if we didn't do something soon.

"Addie" I urged. We were running out of time, and I for one was not prepared to lose another member of our family. Not now, not after everything we had been through.

"Anaesthesia, and a scalpel" she said softly, her voice trembling. She reached out to brush a damp lock of hair from Sandy's forehead, then looked up at us. When she spoke, her voice was strong, and clear, and she was the Addie we all knew and loved once more. "Move fast, guys"

And we did.

Addie gave Sandy a shot that numbed her from the chest down, and swabbed her belly with antiseptic in preparation for cutting her open. Sandy sagged with relief as the pain was lessened some, giving her the chance to catch her breath. But it didn't stop the blood.

It seemed like nothing could stop it.

"Get it out of me" Sandy whispered, tears trailing down her cheeks as she kicked her trembling legs out, fighting against the cramps. "Please, just get it out of me"

"Hon, I need you to be still now" Addie said gently, lifting the scalpel from the table. It glinted in the light, sending a shiver down the length of my spine. "I need you to be still and quiet, OK?"

"OK" Sandy sighed, her head falling to one side as her eyes closed. "OK. Just get it out of me, Addie. Get it out of me before it tears me apart. It hurts so much. I don't wanna die…" Her voice was slurred, the blood loss taking it's toll as she lost consciousness.

"Everybody ready?" Addie asked, pressing the edge of the blade to Sandys belly. It seemed that the question was directed more at herself than at us.

"As we'll ever be" Callum said grimly.

Taking a deep breath, she cut the scalpel into the flesh of Sandys belly and drew it from one side to the other. Her pale flesh opened like a grisly smile, spilling more blood across her lap.

Callum took a hold of the gaping wound and prised it open as Addie pushed aside vital organs and reached inside the bloody depths. And just like a sideshow magician pulling a rabbit from a hat, she lifted out a tiny baby, slick with blood.

It was a girl. An impossibly tiny, beautiful baby girl.

But she wasn't breathing.

Looking at her lifeless, helpless body in Addie's hands, I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces.

We were too late.

"Lu, do what you can for her" Addie said, gently handing her to me. She gave me a grave look, then turned back to the mutilated form of Sandy as she and Callum tried to put her back together again.

I cradled the baby girl in my arms, feeling the gentle weight of her and fighting back the urge to break down. She was so small, and cold, her tiny features tinged with blue. And I felt so helpless.

I didn't know if I could save her, but I would try my hardest. I had to. I had to prove to myself that I could do this. If I could save her, then I could save my son.

I set her horribly lifeless body down on the Winnie The Pooh changing table Sandy had set up next to an antique crib, and took a deep, steadying breath.

I could do this.

I had to.

Pressing my fingers to the baby's frighteningly small chest, I started gentle compressions, punctuating each set with a short, sharp breath into her mouth. I tried to breathe the life into her just like Addie had taught me all those months ago. One-two-three-breathe. I counted them out in my head.

I could hear Addie and Callum in the background, talking furiously to each other as they fought to save Sandy's life, but I blocked them out. I was focused only on the baby. At that exact moment in time, nothing else mattered but getting this baby to breathe.

"Come on, baby" I whispered, pressing down on her chest, willing her heart to start beating. "Breathe. Come on…"

One-two-three-breathe.

One-two-three-breathe.

Time was meaningless as I tried to give her life. As I tried to fight back the menacing threat of Death, lingering over my shoulder, wanting to claim this child for his own. But there was no way he was going to get his hands on this baby.

I wouldn't let him.

I couldn't let him.

One-two-three-breathe.

One-two-three-breathe.

And then, just like a miracle straight from the pages of the Bible, she opened her eyes.

With an ear-piercing cry, a cry that sounded like music to my ears, she took her very first breath. She screwed up her face and howled, her blue cheeks turning a healthy pink as I wrapped a white fleece blanket around her wriggling form. She fought against me. She was strong.

She was alive.

I had brought her back from the brink of death. I had given her life.

"Ohmygod" I cried, cradling her in my arms as a flood of tears spilled down my cheeks. "Addie, she's…"

I turned to look at the others, faltering when I saw the pale, lifeless form of Sandy sprawled across the bed, her belly and legs bathed in blood. Her eyes, blank and unseeing, stared at the ceiling.

She was dead.

She was dead, and she never got to hold her daughter. Never got to breathe in her scent, or count her toes. She never got to speak her name, or tell her how much she loved her.

It was so unfair.

"I tried" Addie breathed, her voice hitching in a sob as she collapsed into an armchair. "I tried so hard, but there was too much blood, and I couldn't stop it…"

Callum gazed down at his hands as though he didn't recognise them.

The mother died, and the child lived. One life for another.

It was heartbreaking, and bittersweet.

It was life.


	61. Fresh Out Of Iron And Salt

**A/N - Aww, shucks for the reviews darling readers, it's an honour to hear from you! Glad you liked the last chapter, despite the death... I hate doing it to you all, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles in this crazy World! Anyhoo, hope you like this new one. We're slowly getting close to the end of the story, and because I can't bear to leave this 'verse of mine behind, I'm planning on a prequel based around Lu and Deans first few months after the Infection broke. I'm working on it now, and when this story comes to a close, I'll start posting it for your reading pleasure! So, watch this space... Not _THIS_ space, but, well you know what I mean XD**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

I stayed with the baby while Addie and Callum broke the devastating news to the rest of our family. I stayed for selfish reasons while they were the bearers of heartbreaking news, and I wasn't proud of myself for it. I couldn't bear to see the looks on their faces when they were told that another one of our own was dead, I couldn't bear to see their pain and anguish so I stayed with the baby, cradling her in my arms as she slept.

She was so tiny, and innocent, and perfect, and she would never know her mother. I couldn't see the sense in it. I couldn't understand why this had happened after everything we had faced. We had been through so much over the last years, and now this...

If God was truly out there, if he was on our side as Castiel said, then how could he let this happen. How could he stand idly by while an innocent woman bled to death, and this sweet baby was left without a mother? Where was his compassion?

"But you'll never be alone" I whispered, brushing my fingers along the delicate curve of her cheek. "Never. I'll be here…" I faltered. I wouldn't be here. In little more than a day, I would be gone, and I might never see her again. I had breathed life into her but there was every chance that I would never see her grow up. It seemed so unfair, but I was desperate to hold my son in my arms just as I was holding her. And, slim though our chances were, we could end up surviving this, we could make it through in one piece with our son. And if that happened, I would come back to her. "There are people here, good people, and they'll take care of you"

She yawned in her sleep, her rosebud lips opening like a flower in bloom, and reached a hand out to wrap around my finger. She gripped me tightly, and she was so strong. Even though she had been treading the waters of the afterlife as she came into this World, she was strong now. So strong, and tough, and full of life.

Alive and breathing while her mothers corpse laid in the other room, growing colder as the minutes ticked by.

The air turned chilly all of a sudden, and I shivered violently, hugging the baby closer to me.

"I would have named her Molly" a haunting voice said, and I felt the hair along my arms stand on end. "If, you know, I hadn't woken up dead"

Watching as my breath materialized before me in whispery white tendrils, I looked up and saw the ghostly figure of Sandy standing in the doorway of the bedroom. Her pale face, flickering like a TV with bad reception, was peaceful as she gazed down at her sleeping daughter.

"I knew it would be a girl" she smiled, fading in a burst of silent static then appearing at my side. "I could feel it, you know, like a mother's intuition or something"

I peered into the bedroom where Sandy's body lay lifeless beneath a clean white sheet.

She had come back as a ghost. We had failed to save her, and now she had come back to haunt us.

"Sandy..." I said, but my mouth turned dry and I struggled to speak.

"I didn't want her at first" she started softly, flickering to the other side of the room. She appeared as she must have been before the Infection broke, slender and pretty, whole where now her body was a gaping wound. "Her daddy was some hick I met in Miami after the Outbreak. I only let him fuck me because I had lost everyone, and I was so alone. It had been so long since I'd had any kind of human contact, and I just wanted to feel... I needed to feel something. It was nothing memorable, let me tell you, and he left straight after" She stood at the fireplace, staring at the books lined up along the mantelpiece. Reaching out to run her fingers along the spines, she smiled wryly as her hand passed through them as though they weren't there. "I knew I was pregnant when I started throwing up all the time, and to be honest, I was far from happy. Who wants to deal with a baby when the World is coming down around you, right? But, I came around to it eventually, and I was kind of excited" She looked across at me, a gentle smile playing on the ghostly form of her lips. "You'd know what that's like, I bet"

"I do" I whispered, watching her cautiously. Dean had told me about ghosts, and about what they could do. They were far from Casper the Friendly. They were vicious, looking only to wreak bloody vengeance on helpless victims.

And here I was, fresh out of iron and salt.

Here I was, at her mercy.

"It's not fair that I'll never get to hold her" the ghost of Sandy sighed, appearing at my side once more and gazing down at her daughter. "I would have been a great mother"

"I'm sorry for what happened to you" I said softly, carrying Sandy's daughter across to the crib I had dragged from the bedroom, and laying her gently down inside. I turned to face the spectral form of my dead friend, trembling. "They tried so hard. They fought…"

"I died" she yelled angrily, and I could feel a jolt of static energy pulsing through the air. "After everything Addie promised me, after she assured me day in and day out that I would be fine. But do you know what? I died, Lulu. Tell me, how is that fair? I died a horrible, agonising death, and now you get to hold my daughter. You get to hold her, and smell her. You get to feel her, and love her, and be the mother I can never be. I have to stand here, dead, and helpless, and alone… It isn't goddamn FAIR!"

A lamp on the other side of the room burst in a shower of sparks.

"Sandy, please" I said, moving to stand between the ghost and the baby. I was ready to protect her in a heartbeat. "It wasn't their fault. They… We never wanted this to happen…"

"Do you know what it felt like?" she asked threateningly, her transparent features darkening, her eyes burning with resentment. "Do you have any idea what it felt like to have that thing trying to claw its way out of me? To feel it inside me, slowly tearing me apart… To feel my blood flowing out of me like a river…"

Another light globe exploded over our heads and I flinched.

"Sandy…" I pleaded, my heart thudding in my chest. She was getting angry, and the fury of a ghost was dangerous. There was no telling what she might do to me. To her baby. "You don't want to do this. Please, think about your daughter. Think about Molly…"

"Do you know what it feels like to die?" Her visage changed suddenly, her face turning ashen and lifeless, her belly opening like a grisly sneer and spilling a torrent of blood down her legs. None of it was real, I knew that, but seeing her like this chilled me to the bone.

She grinned ominously at me, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth.

I wanted to run, every fibre of my being was telling me to run, but I couldn't leave the baby. I had given her life, and I would not leave her to die at the ghostly hands of her mother.

"Don't worry, Princess" she laughed cruelly as the flesh on her spectral face began to decompose before my eyes, revealing bloodied bones. "You'll know soon enough. And when He's done with you, what's left will make me look like a goddamn beauty queen"

And with that, she was gone.


	62. All The Pretty Little Ponies

**A/N - Thank you so very much for the reviews dear, dear readers! I love hearing from you. Apologies for taking my time with this one, I had a bit of writers block! But, my trusty Margaritas helped with that, and I was able to get this one out for your viewing pleasures! It's not one of my best, but I hope you all like it. It's not big with the action, more of a filler. As ever and always, please enjoy and let me know what you think because your words, like my beloved Red Bull, give me wings!!! XD**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXO**

_

* * *

_

Baby don't you cry, gonna make a pie

_Gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle_

_Baby don't be blue, gonna make for you_

_Gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle_

Rocking the baby, who would be named Molly just as Sandy had wanted, in my arms, I sang the lullaby my own mother used to sing to me as I tried to coax her back to sleep. She had woken with a furious crying just after her mothers ghost vanished, leaving behind dreadful accusations and the brutal reality of my imminent demise. I had tried everything I knew to soothe her, but she was inconsolable, her tiny features bright red from endless screaming. It was almost as though she knew what had happened, knew that her mother had died while she herself had lived in a cruel twist of fate, and now she was mourning what she would never have.

It broke my already fragile heart to see her like this, and to know that there was nothing I could do to soothe her. Despite my best efforts, I had grown attached to her since she had been born lifeless. Since I had brought her back to life. So attached that it felt like she was mine. Like she belonged to me. A part of me fantasized about raising her alongside my son, raising them like brother and sister. She needed a mother and I was more than willing to fill that role.

But I knew I was only kidding myself.

I was leaving soon, and the idea of taking her with me was beyond reckless. With everything coming my way, with the danger and unspeakable horror of losing my son hanging precariously over my head, it just wouldn't be safe to have her with me. She would be better off here at the hotel, where there were countless people prepared to care of her and keep her safe. She would be loved here, and given the chance to make her mark in this World. She would be given everything she deserved.

It was selfish of me to even entertain the idea of taking her away from the one place she was safe.

"_Hush-a-bye, don't you cry, go to sleep dear little baby_" I sang softly, holding the squalling infant against my shoulder and rubbing my fingers in soothing circles across her back. "_When you wake, you shall have, all the pretty little ponies_"

I seemed to have found the magic spell to calm her, because, with an adorable hiccup, she fell silent and looked up at me with watery brown eyes.

"Like that one, do you?" I smiled, cradling her in the crook of my arms and using the corner of the fleece blanket to gently wipe away the tears wetting her cheeks. "I used to sing that to my little sister when she was sad, or when she wasn't feeling well… It was our song"

Her unfocused and hazy eyes never left mine, and, as silly as it sounded, I knew she understood every word I was saying. She was barely a few hours old, but I could tell that she was going to be so smart when she grew up.

"It can be your song now" I said, pressing my lips to her smooth forehead and breathing in her newborn scent. She smelled like fresh lavender, reminding me of home. "When I…" I cleared my throat and bit back the sudden urge to cry. "_If_ I come back, I promise I'll sing it to you every night"

There was a gently knock at the door and I looked up to see Dean and Addie step into the room. A tender look flickered across Dean's weary features as he saw me with Molly, and I knew what he was thinking.

He was picturing me with our son.

"She's so… tiny" Dean said, leaning against the sofa as he watched us. "Are they meant to be that tiny?"

I looked across at him and smiled.

"How's she doing?" Addie asked, walking across to us and playfully tickling her fingers along the baby's leg. There were dark bags lingering beneath her eyes and she looked in need of some well-deserved rest. It had been a horribly draining day for us all, and she was taking the loss of Sandy personally. She was torturing herself, reliving the ill-fated surgery over and over in her mind, questioning her abilities and doubting herself.

I hoped she would realise that it hadn't been her fault before the guilt destroyed her. We needed her, now more than ever. With teenage Libby so close to giving birth, we needed… _They_ needed her to keep her wits about her. They needed her to be strong.

"I think she's probably hungry" I answered, smiling down at the baby girl in my arms. She still hadn't taken her eyes off me.

"Ruthie is heating up some formula as we speak" Addie held out her arms expectantly. "Here, why don't you let me take her so you can go get some sleep. You look wiped out"

"No, I'm fine" I smiled. Truth was that I didn't want to part with Molly. I had given her life, and I was scared that if I left her, for even just a moment, something would come along and take her away from me… From us. "I'll stay with her"

"Lu, please" she said softly. I think she knew I had fallen in love with the baby. "You're exhausted, and that's not gonna do you or your son any good. Go and have a lie down and I'll stay with her for a while"

I gazed down at Molly, smiling at her. Addie was right, I was tired. I was exhausted. So much had happened lately, and I couldn't remember the last time I had slept. I wanted to curl up in bed with Dean, but I didn't want to leave Molly.

It was the thought of doing harm to my son that helped me decide.

"Her name is Molly" I said softly as I passed her to Addie. She started fussing and whimpering as soon as she left my arms. "It's what Sandy wanted" I didn't elaborate. I didn't want to worry her with ghosts and ghouls. It was the last thing she needed.

Dean and I would take care of it.

"Molly" Addie grinned, rocking the baby back and forth as she started crying. "It suits her"

I had gotten so used to the weight of her that, in her absence, my arms felt hollow. Even though she was barely a foot away, I missed her.

"Do you know '_All The Pretty Ponies_'?" I asked, hugging my arms around myself. It scared me how empty I felt without her in my arms. I shouldn't have let myself get so close to her.

It was only going to hurt all the worse when we left.

"Yeah" Addie smiled. "My mamma used to sing it to me when I was little"

"She likes that one" I said as I turned away, moving to stand closer to Dean. He reached out to rub his hand across the bulge of my belly, eliciting several gentle kicks from our son. I watched as Addie started to sing the lullaby, gently rocking Molly as she moved around the room, and wanted so much to hold my son.

Dean slipped his hand in to mine and led me from the room. I glanced over my shoulder at Addie and Molly as I stepped out into the hall, saying a silent goodbye to the baby girl who was breathing my very own lifeforce. It was Christmas tomorrow, and with all the excitement of the day, I might not see her again before we left on our quest to save the child growing inside me.

"You OK?" Dean asked as we made our way upstairs to our suite.

"Sandy came back" I said softly. "Her body was lying cold as ice on the bed, but she came back. She was so angry. She accused us of letting her die. And... Dean, she said some horrible things about what's coming our way"

He cursed under his breath and I felt his body tense.

"She's a freaking ghost?" he spat angrily. "Of course she is. Goddamn icing on the goddamn cake..." He stopped and looked down at me, his features softening. "Sorry, Princess, I know you were friends with her"

"It's OK" I leaned into him as we scaled the stairwell, taking comfort in his prescence. I would be lost without him. "What... How do we... We have to put her to rest. I don't want her ghost coming back and hurting Molly. I don't want her hurting anyone. How do we stop her?"

"We have to salt and burn the body" he answered gently, giving my hand a reassuing squeeze. "The sooner, the better"

"Tonight, then. We'll do it tonight. But, it has to be a proper funeral" I said. "After everything, she deserves a proper funeral"

After everything, we all deserved our chance to say goodbye.


	63. Something So Brutal And Absolute

**A/N - Thank you so much for the reviews, it means a lot to me when you all take the time to let me know what you think! I hope you like the newest update, it's getting closer to Lu and Dean having to leave the hotel, and I'm getting kind of sad about it... But it will all be worth it in the end... Maybe... XD. As always, please enjoy and keep blessing me with your beautiful words!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXO**

* * *

The flames of the funeral pyre, igniting the path for Sandy to find true eternal rest at last, flickered in the endless darkness of the night. The fiery tendrils danced seductively, given life by the gentle breeze that blew gently through the city, casting ominous shadows across the faces of all those who had gathered to pay their last respects. We stood around the burning form of our friend, of our beloved sister, watching as the fire ravaged her body, lighting her way towards whatever passed as the afterlife.

Standing beside Dean with his arm wrapped around my shoulders, giving me support when I needed him the most, I closed my eyes and offered a silent prayer to the dead woman. I promised her that she would never be forgotten, that her memory would live on with her daughter. I promised her that Molly would be cared for, and loved by those who could keep her safe from the nightmares of the World.

I watched the flames flicker higher towards the starry sky, almost mesmerised by the way they twisted and curled about themselves. There was something final about fire, something so brutal and absolute.

No one had questioned the decision to give Sandy a Hunter's farewell. Too consumed by shock and grief at the unexpected loss of someone we all loved, no one had questioned the need to rid her of the mortal vessel holding her vengeful spirit to this World.

Wiping at a tear sliding down the plane of my pale cheek, I felt Dean press his soft lips to the top of my head and leaned closer to the warmth of him. I couldn't even begin to imagine how I would have survived any of this without him. From the moment the Infection broke, through every horrible twist and turn on the path to this very moment, I was alive because of him. And I knew that no matter what Lucifer threw our way, he would protect both myself and our son with everything he had.

He was Dean Winchester. He was the Hero.

Saving people was what he had been born to do.

I looked up at him, and smiled through the tears. I hoped I never had to build a pyre for him.

Not now, and not ever.

"I love you" I whispered, slipping my hand into his and holding it against my belly. Our son, perhaps sensing the severity of the moment, was still.

"I love you, too, Princess" he said softly.

I turned back to the fire, and in the billowing clouds of smoke rising towards the heavens, I thought, for a moment, that I could see the face of Sandy, peacefully smiling down on us.

From the wave of mournful silence around us, Father Michael's voice broke through the darkness.

"There is a time for everything; a time to be born and a time to die; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to tear down and a time to build; a time for war and a time for peace" His voice was strong as he spoke, and it was easy to see why he had been a pastor. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Amen"

"Amen" they chorused as one.

Only I stayed silent. Whatever faith I'd had died with Sandy.

As far as I was concerned, God could go and fuck himself.

We stayed until the fire died out, and all that remained of Sandy was a pile of smouldering ashes. It was hard to believe that a person who used to live a breathe, who used to think and feel, could be reduced to something so fragile. Something so meaningless.

A sudden gust of callous wind howled through the cold, dark shadows, lifting Sandy's ashes from the pyre.

"Goodbye" I murmured, watching as they danced in the breeze before disappearing into the night.

And just like that, she was gone.

Forever.

Silent and morose, the crowd returned to the warm safety of the hotel. There were only a few hours until Christmas was upon us, and there was still work to be done. Trees to be decorated, presents to be wrapped. The celebrations we had been planning for weeks were more for the benefit of the children than the adults, but it would be nice to forget everything for just one night.

I made no move to head inside. A part of me wasn't ready to face the coming day just yet. I needed time. Dean, my Knight in Shimmering Armour, stayed by my side without a word.

The gentle thrum of wings echoed through the darkness and Castiel appeared next to me.

"I am sorry for your loss" he said gently, looking down at me with eyes full of sadness and regret. And then he turned Biblical. "_Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God_…"

"God is a bastard" I spat angrily, pulling away from Dean and facing the Angel who loved me like family. "God is a fucking bastard. How could He let this happen? How could He let any of this happen? It doesn't make any sense"

"I know" he nodded sadly. "But, God works…"

"If you say '_God works in mysterious ways_' then so help me, Cass, I will kick you in your Holy balls" Sighing, I pushed my hands frustratedly through my wild curls. "It just… It isn't fair, and I don't understand why good people have to die"

"I'm sorry, Lu" he apologised sincerely. "I don't have any answers. You just have to trust that everything happens for a reason"

I laughed wryly to myself. Addie had said those exact words to me when I discovered I was pregnant.

It seemed like a lifetime had passed since that moment.

"How's the house?" Dean asked, coming up beside me and slipping his arm around my waist.

"Intact" Cass answered. "You were right. It is perfectly safe from the onslaught of the Infected"

"What about…" I cleared my throat, feeling my son stretching inside me. "What about Lucifer?"

"If ever there was a place to keep Him from your son" Cass started, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "It will be Bobby Singer's house"

Letting out a long breath, I lay my head back against Dean's shoulder. Maybe everything would work out. Maybe God really did work in mysterious ways, and everything that had happened to us was just so that the Prince of Darkness wouldn't get his filthy hands on my child.

And if that was true, in little more than two months I would finally be able to hold my son in my arms.

"Though, I would be happier if you left now" Cass said, reaching a hand out to us. "I can send you there this very instant..."

"On, no you don't" Dean exclaimed, taking a step back from the Angel. "Last time you did that, I didn't crap for a week. We're gonna get there the old fashioned way"

"Besides" I smiled. "We can't leave yet. It's Christmas tomorrow. Jingle Bells, and all that crap"

"You do realise that it's not the true birthday of the Son of God" Cass said, a whimsical frown darkening his handsome features.

"I knowthat" I said satirically, though I didn't. "But it's for the kids. After everything they've been through over the last year, they deserve a day of fun and happiness. I don't want to ruin that by abandoning them without a word. We'll stay, just for the day, then we'll head out" I looked across at Dean, taking comfort in the warmth of his smile.

Hopefully, we'd be heading for our Happily Ever After.


	64. All I Want For Christmas Is You

**A/N - Thank you all ever so much for reading and reviewing, I love each and everyone of you for it! Well, the next few chapters will focus on Christmas, then Lu and Dean will be leaving their friends and family behind to hopefully save their son. I have actually written the chapters surrounding the heart stopping climax, and I'm wicked excited about publishing them, but it's gonna take a little while coz I want to get them all out at once so you don't kill me for doing what I have to do and leaving you hanging... I love you all too much to do that to you, so if you'll please be ever so patient, we will get there in time. And, I hope, it will be worth it! So, anyways, please enjoy this little filler, and please enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts! And because it's kinda short, I promise to get the next one out some time tomorrow.**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

I woke to the joyful strains of _Jingle Bells_ blaring through the hotel, sung by a happy chorus of children and adults alike as they wandered the halls, rousing everyone from the sweet relief of sleep. The piercing chime of bells echoed in the early morning light, reminding me of a time, so long ago that it felt like a beautiful dream, when my family had been whole and happy, waking up together on Christmas morning to open presents and share a day filled with love and laughter.

Today though, they heralded the end to our time with this new family. As soon as the sun dipped behind the horizon and the stars came out, while everyone we loved and cared about were celebrating making it through the year from Hell, Dean and I would leave them all behind without knowing if we'd ever see them again.

Even though I knew we were doing what we needed to in order to save our much loved unborn son, it was hard to muster the energy to be merry when I was feeling so sad.

But, despite what this day would bring, Christmas had dawned magnificently in a World of wasted remains, and those lucky enough to have survived the atrocities of the last year were eager to start the celebrations. They had put in a lot of hard work to make this day special in the wake of the horrors we had faced, and no one was willing to waste a single moment. In this new World, each and every moment was precious.

Lying in the warmth of our bed with Dean's arm draped gently across my belly, I listened to the rise and fall of the voices as they happily sang the popular carol again and again, louder and more boisterous with each rendition.

"Merry Christmas, Princess" Dean murmured sleepily as he leaned in to press a soft kiss to my lips, rubbing his hand across the swell of my belly.

"Merry Christmas" I said softly, lacing my fingers with his as we felt the gentle movements of our son. Tiny feet pressed through the flesh of my stomach as he stretched inside me. He was getting so big that it was hard to believe he had any room to move in there, and even harder to believe that I could get any bigger.

"You OK?" Dean frowned, brushing the tangle of curls from my face. The tender concern in his touch was enough to make my heart melt.

"I'm just a little sad is all" I answered, tracing my fingers across my belly, following the kicks and elbows of my unborn baby. "Everyone seems so happy, and not a one of them knows what's happening behind their backs. It seems so deceitful of us to run away without an explanation"

"We're doing this to keep them safe, you know that, right" he said softly.

"Yeah, I know" I sighed. "We're doing the right thing, and that's all well and good, but I wish we didn't have to lie to them. What if they hate us?"

"They'll understand, trust me" he said. "And when all this is over, and we're holding this little guy in our arms, we'll come back. They're family and they'll forgive us"

"Promise?" I asked with a shaky smile, trying to keep my emotions in check and be the Warrior Princess he needed me to be. We were doing this for our son, for John, and all the pain and heartache would be worth it if… _when_ we saved him from whatever Lucifer had planned.

"Promise" he grinned, his gorgeous eyes glinting with a carnal desire. "So, can I unwrap my present now?" he asked huskily, his finger playing along the elastic waistband of the My Little Pony underwear I wore.

"I didn't get you anything" I lied playfully. "You didn't leave a list for Santa"

"Baby…" he whispered, kissing me hungrily and making me forget the darkest of my fears. "All I want for Christmas is you"

And for the next thirty minutes of Yuletide bliss, I was his.

When we finally made our way down to the festivities of the Ballroom, wearing practiced façades of happiness, we were greeted by the tantalising scents of breakfast and an atmosphere of giddy excitement as Christmas morning was welcomed with eager anticipation.

Sam, who had made it back safely with another group of grateful survivors earlier that morning, waved us over to the table he shared with Addie and their daughter, and a tired looking Bobby. All around the room people were giving each other warm welcomes and happy wishes, already feeling their Christmas spirit despite the early hour of the day. They were happy to forget about the never-ending threat of the Infected on the streets below us for just a short while.

The Ballroom had been decked to the rafters with towering pine trees made of plastic and decorated with tacky ornaments, and endless acres of multicoloured tinsel lined every possible surface. The tables were draped with seasonal table clothes, and adorned with Christmas themed centrepieces.

Ours had a foot-tall Frosty the Snowman whose charcoal eyes and carrot nose lit up, giving it an almost sinister appearance.

"Merry Christmas, guys" Sam smiled cheerfully, standing to hug both of us warmly. He was so tall that I felt tiny and insignificant in his arms.

"Back at you, Sammy" Dean smiled. He gave Bobby a loving pat on the back, reciprocated with a weary grunt, and leaned in to kiss both Addie and Delia on the cheek. The adorable little girl giggled, dressed in a too-cute pink dress and booties with bells on the toes that jingled as she bounced happily in her mothers lap.

I eased myself into the chair beside Addie, reaching out to brush my fingers through the downy-soft hair that hung in sleek brunette tendrils across her pudgy features. I still couldn't believe how much she looked like Sam.

I wondered briefly if my son would look like Dean, and secretly hoped that he would. Dean was so devastatingly handsome that it would be criminal if his looks weren't passed on to his progeny.

"It's good to see that we can still look on the bright side of life, even with the Apocalypse raging around us" Addie smiled, gently passing Delia to Sam, who lifted her high in his arms and blew raspberries against her pale belly. She squealed with utter delight, kicking her legs furiously and setting off a chime of bells.

Dean watched them with a soft smile playing on his lips, and I could see the yearning in his eyes.

He wanted to hold our son safely in his arms. He wanted to play with him, and teach him, and show him everything this new World had to offer. He was going to be a wonderful father, and I would do everything in my power to make damn certain that he had the chance to be the daddy he so longed to be.

With a resounding cheer that echoed through the elegant Ballroom, breakfast was served by several helpers dressed like elves. With rosy cheeks and smiles that stretched from ear to ear, they brought us plates piled high with pancakes and powdered eggs, bowls of fresh fruit and artificial custard. Food that would have seemed simple back when the World was whole was now a delicacy.

"I wish it was Christmas every day" I said with a wistful sigh, biting in to a juicy slice of apple. It was soft, and sweet, and was the best thing I had tasted in as long as I could remember.

Bobby muttered something that sounded like 'bah humbug', and we laughed. It felt nice to spend just one moment not consumed by sadness at our imminent departure.

At that moment, watching my loved ones, I vowed to myself that I would enjoy this day. I would be happy, and merry, and I would smile and laugh along with everyone else.

For these last few hours, I would let myself pretend that all was right in the World.


	65. Goodnight And Goodbye

**A/N - Thank you all so much for your reviews. Sorry I didn't get this out when promised, we had yet another series of blackouts thanks to some wild weather so I haven't been able to do much of anything lately. Thank you all for being so patient. OK, so I hope you like this filler chapter. It might take me a few days to get the next one out coz it's a little sad to write so I'm taking my time. I'll hopefully be able to get it out for you within the next few days. As always, please keep reviewing because every word you all leave behind is like my life blood! Oh, and as a P.S, another canon character will make an appearance in the next few chapters. I have a feeling you all might like the little cameo XD**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

The sun climbed higher in the depressingly grey sky as morning gave way to a lazy afternoon, and heavy black clouds hung ominously on the horizon. An icy gust of wind howled through the city, seeming to hold a promise of what could be a white Christmas.

I had never seen snow, and a part of me was kind of excited.

Paying no attention to the sudden shift in the weather, we ate like royalty, gorging ourselves on fruit and pancakes and sugar-laden cereal until we could not stand to eat another bite. With full bellies and high spirits, we indulged ourselves with a few bottles of wine to truly get the celebrations under way.

As a family, we toasted to the beautiful memories of our past, to our persistent and tireless fight to maintain the present, and to whatever the future might hold for us. We toasted to each other, vowing that we would never give up. We had come so far where others had failed, and no matter what this new, twisted World decided to throw our way, we would never give up.

By the time Santa, a middle-aged man named Russell wearing a convincing disguise, made his grand appearance with a burgeoning sack full of goodies for the children, more than a few people were feeling the effects of a little too much of a good thing. But no one cared. We were enjoying ourselves far too much to mind the tipsy behaviour of those who overindulged.

It was, after all, the season to be jolly.

"Ho! Ho! Ho!" Russell called merrily as he weaved his way through the maze of tables, dodging the drunken gropes of two giggling septuagenarians. "Merry Christmas everybody"

The children cheered with innocent joy at the sight of old St. Nick. Even those who were a little too old to still believe in the wondrous fairytale of him seemed utterly delighted at his presence.

I had abandoned the idea of him when I was six, having caught my parents in the act of leaving presents beneath the tree and eating the cookies left out for him, but even I couldn't help the childlike grin that stretched across my lips.

"Didn't you ever think it was strange that parents were so eager to set their kids down on the lap of a strange fat guy wearing a fake beard?" Dean asked, his arm slung across the back of my chair as he enjoyed a warm bottle of beer. "Especially that porn loving Santa Sam and I met in Ypsilanti, Michigan"

I glanced across at him and smiled. He hadn't been entirely enthusiastic about the Christmas celebrations, but he had put aside his misgivings and seemed to be getting into the spirit with the rest of us. I loved him all the more for it.

"My family always loved Christmas" Addie sighed wistfully, watching as the children crowded excitedly around Russell, eager to get at whatever treats were nestled inside his big black bag. "Every year, we'd get up at the crack of dawn to open presents, then sit down to all kinds of fatty goodness for breakfast. And for the whole day, we'd all wear these horribly tacky sweaters with reindeer and fat little elves on them as we did the obligatory relative visits" She looked across at Sam, who cradled a napping Delia in his arms, and reached out to brush a lock of hair from his soulful brown eyes. "Even with the World the way it is, I hope we can have traditions like that for our kids"

"We will" Sam said softly, blessing her with an adoring smile. It was easy to see why they belonged together. I was so happy that they had been able to find each other in the first place, and stay together despite the brutality of the virus. Just like Dean and me, they would be together forever and always.

It was heartening to know that, even in the midst of the Apocalypse, true love could not be defeated.

In the middle of the Ballroom, Russell sat down in a chair adorned with colourful wreaths and tiny silver bells, subtly rearranging his padded belly as the children sat down on the floor at his feet. They gazed up at him with enchanted expressions in their eyes, sitting with rapt attention.

"Have you all been good?" Russell asked, setting his enormous bag down beside him.

The children chorused with a resounding 'yes', fidgeting excitedly at the prospect of what could be hiding in the depths of his bag. I watched them, and knew that, one day, my son would be sitting before 'Santa', excited at what amazing bounty would be bestowed upon him.

"Well, that's good to hear because I have all these gifts that I need to give away" he said, the sleek white beard wrapped around his face bobbing as he smiled. "Do you think you all can help me with that?"

There was another loud refrain of 'yes', and they all seemed to be bursting at the seams. They had faced horrors that should only exist in the darkest of nightmares, but despite all that, they were still so thrilled at the idea of Santa Claus.

I hoped, and prayed, that they would never lose this pure, unsullied innocence. I hoped that they would never stop believing in all the things children were meant to believe in. Because if they did, then they would have to face the dark and twisted reality of the World, and it would destroy them.

One by one, Russell called the children up and showered them with presents. Dean, Sam and the others had gathered as many extravagent gifts as they could find, and each child was spoiled rotten. They were given toys that would have left their parents in debt for months, and dozens of books that would keep them entertained for weeks. They were given everything that they could possibly dream of.

For endless hours, we watched as they marvelled over their presents, instantly breaking open the packaging of toys and figurines and playing amongst discarded wrapping paper. Not to be left out, even the grown ups were given gifts from Santa, though they were more of a playful persuasion. Novelty mugs and unsavoury t-shirts. Erotic books and high fashion clothes that would have taken a second mortgage to buy. With money losing all meaning in the new World, we could have anything we wanted… Everything we could possibly dream of.

The day was better than any of us could ever have imagined. Children and adults alike were enjoying themselves immensely, forgetting about the worries of the World for the time being as they lost themselves in the ecstasy of the celebrations. Someone set up a battery-powered stereo and Christmas carols, sung by long dead celebrities, filled the Ballroom.

People sang along to their favourites, and those who weren't too drunk to bust a move, danced across the room. As the day wore on, and people hugged, and kissed, and danced, there was no sadness. Even after everything we had lost, even with everything that had been taken from us, there was no mourning. In all the months we had been together, I had never seen everyone as happy as they were today.

But as fate would have it, this perfect day could not last.

When the night fell, and the stars emerged, twinkling bright like beacons of hope, it heralded the end to our time with this family. We had spent one last, beautiful day with them, and now it was time to go. It was time to leave them behind and fight the good fight to save our son.

Dean looked across at me, and the sad glint in his eyes told me that it was time to say goodnight.

Goodnight and goodbye.


	66. It Had To Be This Way

**A/N - Please oh please oh please forgive me!!! I so did not mean to take this long to update!!! I've been working extra shifts, and suffering from a horrible case of writer's block!!! I tried to write during every spare moment I had, but for some reason the words just would not come! But, lo and behold, I have finally gotten it all out. It's a little long, and I don't think it's one of my best chapters, but it'll get the job done. And, as an added bonus for making you wait this long, I will reveal that a canon character will appear at the end of the next chapter, and that ya'll will hopefully like who I have chosen! And, I have the next few days off, so I'll hopefully be able to update again really soon... Anywho, as ever and always, please enjoy and let me know what you think coz you're words make me sing and dance!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

With an ominous rumble of thunder echoing across the endless grey sky, the Heavens opened like a flower unfurling and released a magical snowfall that blanketed the city. It took only moments for the World outside to be turned into a winter wonderland as the day gave way to night, and the sound of our celebrations faded into a contented silence.

It had been a perfect day, filled with love and laughter and family and hope. A day unlike any other in this Post-Apocalyptic hellhole. But it had gone by so fast, much too fast. And the thought that this day, this last day, was coming to an end broke my heart into so many pieces that I didn't think I'd ever be able to put it back together again.

But I was determined to save my son, whatever the cost. The pain and the heartache would be worth it when he was safe in my arms.

As we brought the evening to a bittersweet close, everyone banded together to make quick work of the Christmas clean up while the children played with their toys, unconcerned with the worries of the World. When we were done, people started making their way back to their suites to either sleep off their overindulgence, or continue their celebrations well into the next day. We had allowed ourselves this one day, this one perfect day, to forget about everything we had been through, and everyone wanted to make it last as long as they could.

Everyone but Dean and me. For us, this day was over. Our time with this new family, with these people we loved, was done.

And a new, horrifying chapter in this never-ending story of horror and woe was only just beginning.

"Ruthie's offered to baby-sit Dee for the night" Addie said from behind me as we wiped down the last of the tables, a hint of unadulterated delight in her voice. At our feet, Mikey and Declan were play fighting with plastic swords and Superhero costumes. With the World the way it was, this type of play was more like training for whatever the future held than innocent roughhousing. Even though they were having fun, it was horribly depressing. They were too young for such terrible things. "So, I was thinking the four of us could go back to our room, maybe see if we can't make this day last just a little bit longer" She danced around the boys, ruffling Declan's hair, and moving to stand beside me. "I managed to sneak a bottle of tequila, and even though you can't drink with that little spawn swimming inside you, we can still have good time, right?"

She sounded so excited, and I hated that I had to lie to her. She was my family, my sister, and now I was going to abandon her.

We were going to leave them all behind, and there was every chance that we would never get to see them ever again. There was every chance that we would never come back.

And we would never even get to say goodbye.

"I'd love to, hun" I said gently, meaning the words more than I could say. "But I'm kinda feeling a little tired" I rubbed my hands across the mountainous swell of my belly, forcing a smile that made me sick to my stomach.

"Are you sure?" she asked pleadingly, with a playful pout of her full lips. She sounded like a sullen child fighting to get her way, and it only made her all the more adorable. This could be our last few moments together, and I was spending it lying to her.

I hated myself for it.

"I… I'm sure" I stammered, trying to hide the guilt in my voice as I turned away from her. My child moved inside me, stretching lazily, reminding me that I was doing this for him. Everything I did was for him. His life… His future…

"Lu, is everything OK?" Addie asked, laying a hand on my arm. We were as close as sisters, of course she could see through my shaky façade.

I turned to face her, fighting hard against a sudden rush of tears as I tried to look unconcerned. As I tried to look happy and carefree while my insides were churning.

The truth was that I wanted to tell her. I wanted her to know why we _had_ to do this. I needed her to understand that, no matter what happened, I loved her. I loved all of them, and I didn't want to hurt them.

I had to tell her.

She deserved to know.

"Addie, I… We have to…" I started, struggling to form words around my trembling lips. Then, I felt the gentle touch of my son pressing his hand to mine, and I knew that I was about to make a horrible mistake. I couldn't do this...

She frowned at me, looking concerned and confused. She knew I was hiding something.

I wanted to tell her, but I couldn't. It would only put them in danger if they knew, and the last thing I wanted to do was put them in harm's way.

"You ready, Princess?" came Deans timely voice, and I let out a soft breath.

It had to be this way. Because I loved them all, and because I wanted to keep them safe, it had to be this way.

Doing my best to compose myself, I looked up as the Winchester brothers approached, marvelling at the sheer power of their presence. Both of them were so gorgeous that they could have starred in their own TV show had the World not ended with a chorus of screams and snarls. Tales of their heroic deeds would have captivated the nation, and young girls would have fawned over posters of them taped to their bedroom walls.

I probably would have been one of them.

Feigning happiness, Dean wore an easy smile, but I knew him well enough that I could see the sadness in his eyes. In a complete juxtaposition to his older brother, Sam looked blissful, not to mention a little drunk around the edges, having obviously enjoyed himself during the celebrations.

"Almost" I answered, not missing the double meaning in Deans words.

"Where are you going?" Sam asked with a lazy smile, wrapping his arms around Addie's waist and pressing his lips to the soft flesh of her neck. There was a promise in her laugh that almost made me glad we would not be joining them for the celebrations in their room.

"Bed" Dean answered simply. "The old lady needs her rest these days"

"And…" Addie giggled, twisting in Sam's arms to press her lips firmly, and with much tongue, to his. "I think that's where you need to take me, mister"

Despite everything, I couldn't help but laugh. I was going to miss them something fierce.

"Yeah, that's a little too much information for me, Ads" Dean said, clearing his throat uncomfortably. "I changed this boys diapers. I don't need to picture him bumping uglies with you"

"You know you think we're adorable" she grinned, lovingly brushing Sam's hair from his eyes.

I watched them together and knew that, like Dean and me, they would get through this because they had each other. They might be hurt, and they might be angry, but they would survive this together. And they would understand our reasons why, because they would do the same thing if it were their child in danger.

That thought alone almost made this easier… Almost.

"So, I guess this is goodnight" Sam yawned, leaning against the edge of the table behind him. Thankfully, he didn't seem to suspect that there was anything amiss.

"Yeah, I guess it is" Dean said softly, and I could feel the weight of his impending loss bearing down on him. Suddenly, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms tightly around his brother. He hugged a bewildered Sam for several long and intense moments, then with a macho clap on the back, reluctantly pulled away.

"What was that for?" Sam smiled, wearing an expression of perplexed amusement.

"Oh, y'know, Christmas spirit and all" Dean laughed uneasily. He had been taking care of Sam for his entire life, and having to leave his baby brother behind was killing him. I knew that our decision to run from this new threat made him feel like a coward, but he would do anything for our son. He was the Hero, and he would give up everything for our son.

And I loved him for it.

"I've never seen this side of you, Dean" Sam teased playfully. "Getting kind of sentimental in your old age, aren't you"

"Bitch" Dean smiled, and this time, it reached his eyes. After everything the two of them had been through, they deserved this one last moment of happiness before we disappeared.

"Jerk" Sam countered, playing his part perfectly.

With that, it was time to leave, to say goodbye without really saying goodbye, and ride off into the night to save the life of our unborn child.

We had fallen in love with all of these people, they were our family. We had built a life, a future, with them, and now it was time to walk away.

"So…" I said, fighting hard to find my voice. "Goodnight" It felt like the hardest word I'd ever had to say.

"See you in the morning" Addie said gently, but it wasn't a question because she knew the truth. She was smart enough to know what we were doing, but she wouldn't betray us. Not to anyone. With a sad smile, she hugged me as best she could around the swell of my belly, and whispered into my ear. "You're doing the right thing"

I swallowed back a sob, and kissed her softly on the cheek, loving her more in that moment than I ever thought I could.

"Thank you" I breathed, soft enough that only she could hear, hugging her fiercely.

I gave Sam a quick hug that made my heart ache, then slipped my hand into Deans, entwining our fingers together until our two halves made one whole.

And then we walked away.

Walked away, forever.

"Don't look back, baby" Dean said softly as we headed for the door, knowing me better than anyone else ever could. "It'll only make it harder"

Outside the Ballroom, Castiel was waiting for us. His features were darkened with sympathy.

"It is time to leave" he said gently. "The way is clear. Go now"

"Thanks for everything, Cass" Dean said, gratefully. "I don't know how we can ever…"

"Just keep that child safe" the Angel interrupted, reaching out to run his hand down the curve of my stomach. "Do everything you can to keep Lucifer from fulfilling his desires"

"We promise" Dean murmured, knowing we may never see Castiel again. He had done so much for us, risked everything, and this could be our final goodbye. "With everything we have"

"I love you, Cass" I whispered, stepping forward to embrace him. He held me without a word and I could feel the love in his touch. He was our family.

He would always be our family.

"Go" he said, pulling away. For the briefest of moments, I thought I could see the sheen of tears in his bright blue eyes. "I don't know if you'll appreciate it, but... May God be with you"

"Amen" Dean said with a wry laugh.

And with that, we slipped away into the shadows, leaving behind the life we had fought so hard to forge amongst the withering ruins of the World.

And outside, the snow continued to fall.


	67. Promise Me, Please

**A/N - I feel like I've been starting every A/N with an apology... But, please be assured that I am still writing, it's just taking me a little longer these days! I'm trying really hard to update more often but my creative juices have dried up... I'm aiming for at least once a week. Anyway, please enjoy the newest chapter, it's nothing special, but please let me know what you think!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

The night was dark. It was unforgiving, and it showed no mercy.

As we left behind the one place we had been able to call home in this blood soaked wasteland, the snow continued to fall with a vengeance, casting an eerie glow across the city. Long shadows danced ominously across the streets, given life by the vibrant glare of the headlights as we made our way closer to salvation.

Inside the comforting warmth of the Impala, silent as we mourned the loss of all those we loved, Dean and I held hands and watched the lonely World passing us by. Even the child nestled deep in my belly was still, and I knew he was as saddened by our departure as I was. He was a part of me, made from my own flesh and blood and heart and tears, and it was only natural that he could sense my grief. It was only natural that he could see into the depths of my soul and feel the very same feelings that I was. While he grew inside me, we were one.

Running my fingers down the slope of my stomach, I offered my son a silent promise that we would see them again. I promised him that Dean and I would find a way to beat the unholy bastard who wanted to tear him bloody and screaming from my womb, and, with our heart and souls intact, we would find our way back to them and live the Happily Ever After we deserved.

And I would do everything I possibly could to keep my promise. For his sake.

Even if it meant that I had to give my life to save his. My soul in place of his.

Because I loved him, I would die for him.

I would sacrifice myself so that he could live.

And then I knew the truth. I knew the truth, and something inside me fell to pieces.

Watching the snow fall soundlessly from the pitch black sky, I realised that I would never see my son, I would never hold him or watch him take his first breath. I realised that I would never know him, I would never see the man he would become, and it felt like a part of me was dying.

We couldn't pretend that everything would be bright and shiny anymore. We couldn't pretend that everything was going to be all right because it wasn't.

"We'll be OK, Princess" Dean said, seemingly reading my mind as he put an end to the heavy quiet that had fallen between us. With an easy smile that made his green eyes sparkle even in the dim light, he lifted my hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to my fingers. "It's us against the World now, remember?"

I looked across at him, so breathtakingly handsome in the soft glow of the headlights reflecting against the snow that my heart seemed to stop. I loved him so much, and I hated that I had to say what I was about to. It pained me to know that I was about to hurt him, but we couldn't put this off any longer.

"Dean, I need you to promise me something" I said softly, cradling an arm around my belly.

"Baby, you know I worship the ground you walk on" he grinned playfully. "You know there's nothing I can deny you"

"Promise me that if something happens to me…" I started, keeping my voice low and steady so I wouldn't betray my emotions.

"Lu, don't" he said through gritted teeth, releasing my hand and letting it fall between us.

"If something happens to me, save the baby" I finished, looking down at my hand, saddened by how empty it felt apart from Deans.

"No. We are not talking about this" he said harshly, his face set in a hard line. I could feel the heat of his anger, and I was almost afraid that it would burn me.

"We have to" I looked across at him, pleading with him to understand. I needed him to understand. "We can't ignore this anymore. It's coming… _He's_ coming. And if He makes you choose…"

"Lu, don't" he whispered, his voice wavering with unshed tears.

"If he makes you choose, Dean… Please choose our son"

We sent up thick plumes of snow behind us as Dean stepped down heavily on the brake, coming to an awkward stop in the middle of the road.

There were several long, intense moments of agonising silence, and I held my breath.

"How can you ask me to choose?" he whispered, and I saw the glint of a tear tracing down his cheek. "You're the one thing in this World that stopped me from giving up, and now you're asking me to willingly lose you to Lucifer?"

"I want this baby to have a chance, Dean" I said, reaching out to wipe the tear from his chin. I hated seeing him like this, and I hated knowing that I was the one causing him all this hurt. But I needed him to promise me that he would save our son. At this moment, the child growing inside me was more important than I would ever be. "Please, you have to promise me…"

"I can't lose you, Lu" he started, staring intently at the steering wheel. "Even thinking about it hurts more than anything I've ever been through… When I came back from Hell, it felt like there was a darkness inside me, like a part of me had already died and I was just going through the motions. Then, I stepped into the cheesy little diner because, let's face it, I can never pass up pie, and… And I saw you. I had never seen anyone more beautiful than you were that day. And… Goddamnit, Lu, you breathed the life back into me" He looked across at me with a sadness in his eyes that broke my heart. "I can't lose you, I just… I can't. I'm scared that if I do, that darkness is gonna come back, and there'll be nothing left of me. If I lose you, I'm gonna lose myself"

I took a hold of his hand and pressed it to my belly. It was at that moment that our son kicked.

"I don't want to die" I said softly, entwining my fingers with his as we felt the movements of our child. "I don't. I want to grow old with you, and have enough babies to start our own football team. But I want John to have a future, I want him to have the life that he deserves. You went to Hell for Sam, you sacrificed yourself for him… And now I need to do the same for our son. I want to beat Lucifer, I want to stop that bastard before He gets his hand on our son, but if it ever comes down to it… I need you to choose John. Promise me, please"

His eyes met mine, and I could see the War that raged inside him. He was the Hero. He wanted to save us both.

"Please" I whispered. I didn't know if I'd be able to do this without him. I needed him.

"I promise" he sighed at last, but I could hear the reluctance in his voice. "But I'm gonna fight like Hell to make sure I don't lose either of you, you hear me"

"I know you will" I smiled, relieved to hear the words that I needed to hear. I knew he would do everything he could to save us because that was what he was born to do. And I hoped he could because I wanted to have a future, too. I wanted to spend my life with him.

I wanted the Happily Ever After.

The radio gave a sudden burst of static in the darkness, and I jumped.

Dean reached for the mouthpiece, but I grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"It could be Sam" I said. We hadn't even been gone an hour, could they have noticed we were gone already?

He let out a breath, realising that we might never get to speak to them again.

This was real. This was really happening.

"… if there's anyone around, we could really use some help…" an unfamiliar voice pleaded through the speakers.

Even after all this time there were still people out there.

"No freaking way" Dean murmured suddenly, giving a soft bark of laughter.

"What" I frowned.

He lifted the mouthpiece from its holder and brought it to his lips.

"Chuck?"


	68. It Was Dumb Luck

**A/N - Thank you everyone for your glorious reviews, and thank you all so very much for being patient with me! I hate to keep you waiting, but I sure do hope that it's worth it. I hope you all like the latest update, and don't worry, Chuck will stick around for at least another chapter or two. As always, please enjoy and do let me know what you think coz I love hearing from you!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXO**

* * *

The run down building, decorated with crude graffiti and unsavoury images, had been a free Health Clinic before the Croatoan virus was released on an unsuspecting nation, running rampant across the country and forcing the human species to the brink of extinction.

Now, as an icy tempest of snow frosted the roads and plunged the city into an arctic wonderland, it housed three people who had managed to survive all these months on their own where so many others had fallen. After an unfortunate car accident had left them bloodied and broken and in desperate need of medical assistance, they had stumbled across the clinic, seeking a haven against the brutal elements to regroup and recover.

Almost a half hour after their call for help came through our radio, during which Dean blatantly avoided the reality of the promise he had made me, we pulled into the parking lot of the Bluthton Clinic and came to a stop beside the rusting remains of a minivan. There was a faded '_My Child is an Honour Student_' sticker across the back window that made my stomach churn. It was hard not to think about what horrors would have befallen the Honour Student the sticker referred to, what fate he or she met at the hands of the Infected. So many innocent lives wasted, ruined by the demonic plague that showed no mercy as it decimated the World.

It was a depressing, and heart breaking, and I tried hard to not think about too often.

"He's a prophet?" I asked through chattering teeth, pushing the car door open and climbing out into the biting chill of the night. I hadn't heard about Chuck Shurley until this moment, and I was incredibly intrigued, and slightly amused, by what Dean had told me about him, and the _Supernatural_ series he had written about the brothers' exploits. "You mean, like something out of the Bible?"

"Yeah, something like that" Dean said, walking around the Impala to where I stood and draping his jacket around my shoulders. It held his warmth and carried his scent, and was almost as good as being in his arms. Even with the fear and heartache of this night, a part of me longed for us to find an abandoned house and curl up in bed together, forgetting everything for a few moments of blessed ecstasy.

I smiled up at him, curling my fingers around the collar of his shirt and pulling him in for a soft kiss. It wasn't returned with as much enthusiasm as I had hoped for, and I worried that I was losing him. I had asked too much of him, and now it felt like he was pulling away, distancing himself from me.

Releasing his shirt, shivering even despite the warmth of Dean's jacket, I stepped back and hugged my arms around myself in an attempt to stave off the intense cold and keep myself from falling to pieces. I couldn't lose him. I needed him. I needed him like I needed the air that I breathed, like the blood pumping through my veins, like the steady thrumming of my heart…

He was the other half of my soul, and I wouldn't survive this without him.

"Come on, let's get you out of this cold, Princess" Dean said, pressing his hand to the small of my back and guiding me towards the miserable looking building.

A fine mist of snow fell around us, and it felt like we were in one of those tacky snow globes that old ladies In Florida avidly collected. Despite everything that had happened, and everything that was going to happen, the night was breathtakingly beautiful. I had never seen snow before, and I had the sudden urge to build a snowman, or a snow angel. I wanted to spin around with my arms outstretched and tilt my head back to taste the snow flakes.

But with three people needing our help, I didn't think it would be entirely appropriate.

As we approached the building, the front door, barely hanging on its hinges, opened to reveal a short, thin figure silhouetted in the doorway by a halo of soft light.

"Dean?" the figure asked with a wary voice. I could see the outline of a handgun at his side, and noticed that his hand trembled slightly.

The Infected weren't the only ones we had to fear, which just went to prove how outrageously fucked up this twisted World really was.

"Chuck, I'll be damned" Dean smiled, ignoring the gun and stepping forward to give him an affectionate hug. "I never thought I'd lay my eyes on you again"

"Good to see you had faith in me" Chuck answered with a wry smile, stepping aside and ushering us into the Clinic. A stream of dried blood caked the side of his pale face, running through his coarse beard and trailing down the length of his neck. He looked bruised and battered, and Goddamn lucky to have been able to walk away from the accident.

"And how exactly did you manage to make it through all of this?" Dean asked, glancing around the waiting room. From the suspicious looking liquid that stained the walls and floor, and the pungent stench that permeated the stale air, I would have bet anything that animals, or even the Infected, often used this building as a hovel.

"Oh, y'know… It was dumb luck" Chuck answered bashfully, setting his gun down on the counter. He walked with an obvious limp, and I was reminded why we had been called in the first place.

"How are the others?" I asked, trying hard to breathe through my mouth. With pregnancy heightening my sense of smell, I was struggling to keep from throwing up my Christmas dinner.

"Kate's alright, but George isn't doing too well" Chuck answered, eyeing the mountainous swell of my belly with an expression that could only be likened to apprehension. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name…"

"This is my wife" Dean introduced, stepping forward and draping his arm around my waist. He was trying to be casual, but I could feel how forced the movement was. "Lu, meet the Prophet Chuck"

"You got married?" Chuck smiled, clearly amused by the notion. "You? Seriously?"

"Why does everyone always find that so funny?" Dean muttered. I knew he hadn't been a saint before we met, but I didn't see why the idea of him getting hitched was so humorous to so many people.

"It's nice to meet you" I said, reaching out to shake hands with Chuck. From the way he was looking at me, I couldn't help but think that he was unnerved by me and the baby growing inside my belly. I wondered if he knew something that we didn't. He was, after all, a Prophet of the Lord.

"Same" He smiled at me uneasily, and for a split second, I thought I could see the glint of fear in his red-rimmed eyes. Then, blinking several times, he looked away. "I'm, uh… I'm glad you guys were in the area. We really need your help" he said, leading us through to an exam room. A middle-aged man, pale and bloodied, lay on the bed, groaning in pain. His leg was bent at an awkward angle, and I could see the dull glint of bone poking through the flesh of his shin. A young woman, obviously Kate, sat beside him, gently pressing a damp cloth to his forehead. She looked up at us as we entered, pure fear etched on her face, and I could see the angry bruise blossoming across her cheek. The accident had really kicked their asses.

"Please" Kate whispered desperately, tears filling her sad eyes. "Please, you have to help him"

"Jesus" Dean breathed. "What the Hell happened?"

"Black ice" Chuck said simply, lighting a Coleman lantern and carrying it over to where George lay in agony.

"Well" I started, pulling off Dean's jacket and draping it over the back of a nearby chair. The poor guy was beat up something fierce, but I felt oddly confident. This was what I did now. This was what Addie had been training me for. "You did good to find this place. If we're lucky, there's still some supplies lying around"

"You can fix this?" Kate asked hopefully.

I walked across to the bed, studying the vicious leg wound that made my stomach churn, and running through all the medical knowledge stored in my mind after endless months of Addie's teaching. I could do this. I had to do this.

A life depended on me, and there was no way I was going to fail him.

"We have to put the bones back into place before gangrene sets in" I said, my voice calm and steady. "Amputation isn't my strong point"

"What do you need?" Dean asked from my side, slipping his hand into mine as he effortlessly assumed the role of my assistant. As always, he had my back. We were a team, and together, we could do anything.

I looked up at him and smiled, and when he smiled back, it reached his eyes. I knew then that I hadn't lost him. Not now, and not ever. No matter what happened, I would never lose him.

We were a forever kind of deal, and nothing, not even Lucifer himself, could tear us apart.

"I need you to hold his leg still while I set it" I said with an apologetic smile.

"Awesome" he sighed grimly.

On the bed, George groaned, mumbling incoherently, and I hoped for his sake that he was out of it enough that he wouldn't feel what I was about to do. I couldn't even begin to imagine how much this was going to hurt.

"Chuck, I need you to find something to use as a splint" I said over my shoulder. "And have a look around for some antibiotics and painkillers. If this works, he's gonna need a shit load of them"

"I'll see what I can do" Chuck said, sounding glad to be given something to do while Dean and I did the dirty work. I couldn't blame him. This was not going to be pretty.

"Is there anything I can do?" Kate asked, eager to help.

"Cutting the fucking thing off" George groaned from where he lay, picking the worst possible moment to become lucid. "For the love of Sweet Jesus, just cut it off"

"I can't do that, George" I said. "This is gonna hurt like the freaking Dickens, but it'll pass and you'll still have a working leg"

"Cut it off and throw it to the dogs" he slurred, his eyes rolling in his head.

I hoped like crazy that he was going to lose consciousness, but, unfortunately for all those involved, he stayed completely aware.

"Hold him down" I said to Kate. "He's not going to enjoy this"

Her features went a sickly grey, but she nodded with a steely determination. I wondered briefly what the relationship between the two of them was. Given the age difference, I was inclined to think they were father and daughter, but with the World the way it was now, anything was possible.

"OK, George, on three" I said, taking a hold of his ankle and bracing myself. "One…"

I looked up at Dean and smiled. He mouthed the words 'I love you', and I took strength just from him being close by.

The two of us against the World.

Forever and always.

"Two…"

I could feel George starting to tense, and made the split decision to be cruelly sneaky.

Clenching my teeth, I pulled on the lower half of George's leg, twisting it sharply as I tried to manipulate the bones back into position. With a sickeningly wet crunch, the bone slipped back into place, spilling a fresh torrent of blood across the plastic sheets of the bed.

And poor old George let out a blood-curdling scream that echoed horridly around the room. Kate threw herself across his chest as he bucked wildly, fighting against the white hot pain that throbbed angrily through his mangled leg. He swore viciously as he trashed, and I struggled to keep his leg still, trying to stop him from doing any further damage.

"I don't know who the Hell you are" George groaned, falling still. "But I fucking hate you"

And with that, it was over.

"Three"


	69. Miles To Go Before We Sleep

**A/N - Thank you so much for the reviews, and for your unwavering patience! I'm glad all you guys are sticking by me, even though it's taking me so very long to update... Anywho, I hope you like the new chapter, even though it's just a filler, but I hope it answers some of your questions. The whole Chuck conundrum has been planned for a long while, and it's a relief to finally get it out there. So, enjoy, and as always, please keep leaving behind your awesome words coz I love hearing what you all have to think!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXO**

* * *

The moon hung fat and heavy in the midnight sky as the day gave way to the next. Even with the stars glittering between the clouds, and the snow falling softly over the city, the night seemed hollow and meaningless. It had been a day filled with so much pain and sorrow, and yet it had ended without fanfare, with nothing to prove just how epic it had been. This one day had been the hardest to endure in a long year of hard days, and it came to a close with nothing more than a pale moon smiling sadly down at what remained of the World.

There was no poetry in the cold, dark night that stretched endlessly around me. Nothing but the aching loss gnawing its way through my insides.

Having left George in the exam room, stitched and splinted and enjoying the blissful tranquillity of a heavily medicated sleep with Kate keeping a devoted vigil by his bed, I stood outside the clinic and watched the night seep by.

There was something lonely about the shadows that haunted the streets, and I couldn't help but feel cut off from the rest of the World. The hotel was only an hours drive behind us, but it felt so far away. So close, but heartbreakingly unreachable.

We could never go back…

"How you holding up, Princess?" Dean asked gently, coming up behind me and slipping his arms around the expanse of my swollen waist. He pressed his lips to my neck, and let out a weary sigh. He was as tired as I was, and I couldn't blame him. It had been a long day, and we still had so far to go.

Miles to go before we sleep.

"It's been a Hell of a day" I said, leaning back against his broad chest, taking comfort in his warmth. In his arms, where I belonged, I barely even noticed the biting chill of the night. In his arms, I could almost forget everything that was coming our way, pushing it all to the back of my mind so that it was just him, me, and our son. The three of us against the World.

"Tell me about it" he laughed humourlessly. "I was kinda hoping we'd left all this drama back at the hotel"

"Trouble always finds us" I joked playfully, reaching a hand up to stroke my fingers through his hair. Trouble had been finding us ever since the day we met, lurking in the shadows, watching and waiting. I had a feeling it would be following us closely for a long time to come. We would never truly be free of it. "You, of all people, should know that"

"Trust me, I do" he laughed, rubbing his hands down the slope of my belly. As though proving our point, the child growing inside of me gave a deft kick. Still weeks from being born, he already had a personality not unlike his daddy's. He was going to be so smart and fearless. A God among men, just like his father.

I wanted so much to meet him.

Standing there with the love of my life wrapped around me, watching the snow trickle down around us, I tried not to think about the coming months and what they would mean for us. I was trying to be brave, trying to be strong in the face of danger, but it felt like I was coming apart at the seams. Like everything inside me was shattering into a million pieces.

I was terrified of losing the two men in my life that I loved with every inch of my heart and soul. I was so scared, but I knew that I had to be brave. And I was trying. I was trying so Goddamn hard.

"Come on, Princess" Dean said, releasing his hold on me and slipping his hand into mine. "I'm freezing my freaking ass off out here. And I'd bet anything that you're hungry already"

"You know me too well, Cowboy" I smiled, willingly following him in to the clinic, where it was only marginally warmer than outside.

We found Chuck sitting in one of the plastic waiting room chairs, staring blindly into the darkness as he drank lazily from a bottle of whiskey. In the gentle glow of the lantern, with wild hair and blood staining his features, he looked haggard. He looked like he was on the verge of giving up.

"Want me to stitch that up for you?" I asked as I eased myself into a chair across from him, nodding at the deep gash cutting across his forehead.

"Hmm?" he looked up at me, touching his fingers to the cut as though he had forgotten about it, then quickly glanced away. "No, it's… It'll be fine"

I had the sudden feeling that he was scared of me. That he knew more than what he was letting on. He knew something, and it was slowly killing him.

"What did you see?" I asked softly, folding my hands over the swell of my belly. From the shiver that worked its way up the length of my spine, I knew I wasn't going to like the answer.

Beside me, Dean frowned, looking from me to Chuck.

"Lu, what are you talking about?"

"He saw something" I said, not taking my eyes from the Prophet. "He's hardly been able to look at me since we got here. Dean, he knows something"

Chuck shifted uncomfortably, taking a long swallow from his half-empty bottle. His hand was shaking.

"Is that true?" Dean asked him, his voice low and threatening.

"Since the virus broke I haven't… I've seen nothing since the World ended, and that's the God's honest truth" Chuck started, unable to look at us. "I thought it was 'cause you and Sam had, well, y'know… I thought you guys were dead. But, I guess the Angel's have just given up on us. They've accepted that we're a freaking lost cause, and they just don't care about us any more" He laughed hysterically for a moment, then fell silent. He was barely hanging on to his sanity, and I felt sorry for him.

"But you did see something, didn't you" Dean said. "Something about Lu… Something about the baby"

"Yeah" he murmured, his lips trembling. Whatever he saw, it had been haunting him for months.

"What did you see?" I asked again, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I saw you" he said, meeting my gaze for the first time. "I saw you, but you were…" He took another long drink before he was able to continue.

And I knew it was bad.

"You were dead… Torn open. And there was someone standing over you, but I… I couldn't see their face. There was something dark about them, something evil. And they were holding something in their arms…"

"My son" I breathed, my heart thudding so fast in my chest that I feared it would burst free.

"Yes" Chuck nodded sadly. "It was your baby, only it wasn't… It was Lucifer"

I felt a tear trace a silent path down my pale cheek, and Dean reached for my hand, clutching it tightly in his own.

"And Hell followed Him"


	70. Not With A Bang, But A Whimper

**A/N - Adored your reviews, my ever gracious fans! And thank you for your patience, I'm trying to update more often, but life is a little busy at the moment. Anywho, hope you all like the update, and that you keep reviewing because it makes all this worthwhile!**

**Blessed Be XOXOX**

* * *

A stagnant silence, palpable and shapeless, filled the room as Chucks ominous words hung heavily in the air. His prophecy, a wicked portend of my gruesome death, seemed to take a life of its own amongst the eerie shadows that danced pathetically across the walls.

"So, I guess this is it" I smiled sadly, wiping away the tears that had laid tracks down my cheeks. It was pointless to cry now. The deal was done, it was set in stone. "The Almighty Lord has spoken, and it's game over. A round of applause, people, 'cause it looks like the fat lady's getting ready to sing her heart out" A giggle escaped my lips before I could stop it. It was followed by another, and another. And then I was laughing. Laughing until I could hardly breathe.

We had come so far, fought so hard, and it was all for nothing.

It was so tragically depressing that all I could do was laugh.

And that was when the hope that I had been desperately clinging to, grasping at like a fragile thread, ebb away, leaving behind a gaping wound that almost split me in half.

It was over before it had really even begun.

This was the way the World ended. Not with a bang, but a whimper.

And so, I laughed. Because it was better than falling apart, I laughed.

"No" Dean said through clenched teeth, releasing my hand and pushing himself out of his seat. He paced angrily in front of me, glaring at Chuck as though he blamed him for my forseen fate. As though it was his fault that I was going to die. "This is bullshit. This means nothing. Lu, don't you listen to a fucking word he says. It's lies, it's all a bunch Goddamn lies"

"Dean, he _saw_ it… God's Prophet himself saw my death" I sighed, fighting against the laughter and tears bubbling in my chest. "Tell me, has he _ever_ prophesised anything that hasn't come true?"

Dean looked at me, but he didn't answer. He couldn't because he knew the truth. He just couldn't accept it. He was the hero, and he couldn't accept the fact that it was over.

There were nothing we could do. No matter how much it hurt to admit, I was going to die.

"Look, it… It was a long time ago" Chuck stammered, looking from me to Dean with bleary eyes. He had found an escape in alcohol, looking for solace at the bottom of empty bottles. In this new World, if you were able to find some kind of peace, no matter what it was, you had to grab it and never let go. He had found his, and I just hoped it wouldn't end up destroying him. "Things have changed since then. May-maybe… Maybe what I saw isn't so true anymore. Maybe you're meant to survive this…"

"Do you believe that?" I asked softly. "Honestly, do you really believe that?"

He looked away, shame flaring across his drawn features, and that was answer enough for me. He knew the truth. He had seen it himself.

Silence took hold of the room again, but this time, I wasn't laughing. I sat there, watching my husband fume and rage before me. I was so proud of him for wanting to fight this, but I knew it would do no good. And despite the death sentence that had just been handed to me, I was calm. I had already accepted my fate. I knew I was going to die, and now I was just tired. I was so fucking tired that the idea of giving up was blissfully seductive. But I couldn't, not yet, because there was still one last thing I had to do.

I was going to die, but maybe, if God had even an ounce of compassion left, just maybe, I could save my son. I could keep him from suffering whatever horrors Lucifer had planned for him, and he could live the life I wanted him to. My death would mean something if my child survived.

But sitting here, wallowing in grief and dejection, was not going to help.

"I think it's best if we go now" I said to Dean, hauling my bulky frame to my swollen feet. A dull ache burned across my lower back and I closed my eyes against the pain, taking a slow breath as my weary body settled itself. "The sun'll be up in a few hours, and I'd like to put a bit more distance between us and the others before morning"

Dean glanced across at me, his jaw clenched tightly, and nodded. We would still go to Bobby's house, no matter how pointless it seemed, because he would still try to save me. He would never give up, and that was exactly why I loved him more than I had ever loved another living soul. More than I ever could.

I reached a hand out for him, and he gently entwined his fingers with mine.

"There's a hotel" Dean said, turning to face Chuck. "About an hour down the highway there's a hotel full of people who can take good care of all of you. Sam's there" His voice wavered at the mention of his brother, and I gave his fingers a reassuring squeeze.

Chuck nodded, and I could see the relief on his face. He had been fighting for so long, struggling each day to see the next. He deserved a break. They all did.

"But you can't tell them you've seen us" Dean added. "We're doing this to protect them, and they can't know where we are, OK?"

"Yeah, of course" Chuck said, and I knew he wouldn't betray us. He knew how fucked up and hopeless everything was, and he would keep our secret.

With nothing more than a solemn goodbye, we rode off into the night, followed by the haunting silence. Dean said nothing as we drove, keeping his fierce gaze on the pitch black road before us, and all I could do was stare out the window as the city passed us by in a dizzying blur. The storm had moved on, leaving behind a World cloaked in white and a clear sky.

It really was a beautiful night.

I barely noticed the hours as they melted away, and it wasn't until we pulled up behind a small gas station that I realised how much time had passed. It was almost morning.

Dean parked the Impala between a small delivery truck and a rusting SUV, hiding it from the prying eyes of the Infected as best he could. We climbed out, taking nothing from the car, and walked across the heavily littered parking lot to the small building. The windows were covered with yellowed posters advertising specials on hair care products, imported beer, and pet food, effectively providing us with a decent veil of protection. As long as we kept quiet, we could safely spend the day here.

Looking at this small, insignificant building, nestled in the heart of wastelands, I was reminded of the First Days when it had just been Dean, me, and a desperate fight to survive. It was fitting that we should spend our last days together in the same way.

Dean easily picked the door lock and we stepped inside. It was dark, and the air smelled stale, thick with the stench of rotting food and sour milk. It wasn't the nicest place to hide out, but it would do.

Drawing his gun from his belt, Dean scanned the store for any signs of life, human or not.

It was empty.

And for this one day, when we were so far from our own, it would be home.

We moved to the back of the store, finding a small room that had most likely served as a manager's office. A photo of a smiling blonde woman and a beautiful little girl was propped up on the desk, the glass of the frame cracked and spattered with several droplets of black blood.

I didn't even want think about who's blood it might have been.

"If the roads are clear, we should make it to Bobby's by tomorrow morning" Dean said, pushing the furniture against the wall to make room for us. There was some camping gear in the store and we could set up some makeshift beds with a few sleeping bags. It wouldn't be comfortable, but it would do.

"You could go back, y'know" I said softly, picking up the photo frame and running my finger over the radiant faces of long dead people. It hurt to say the words, but I couldn't stop them from spilling from my lips. I couldn't do this without him, but I needed to give him the option. "If you want out of this, you should go back"

"What?" he exclaimed, turning to face me.

"You don't have to do this, you can go back. I… I can do this on my own" Even as I spoke the words, I didn't believe them. Without Dean, I was nothing but a frightened little girl living in a World where nightmares reigned. But he wasn't in Chuck's vision, he didn't have to die. "You can walk away from this. You can go on..."

"Don't you dare even think about pulling that noble bullshit on me" Dean said angrily, grabbing me roughly by the shoulders. His eyes blazed furiously, and for a moment, I was frightened of him. "We're in this together, you hear. It's you, and it's me. No matter what happens, forever and always, it's you and me"

"But you can survive this" I whispered, looking up at him, almost crippled by the guilt of knowing that he might die just because he loved me. I never wanted this for him.

"Survive?" he asked incredulously, holding my face in his hands as he blinked away tears. "If I lose you, what make's you think I want to survive? Without you, I have nothing. You can't leave me now, Lu, not when we've come so far… Please…"

The desperation in his voice broke my heart.

"I won't" I breathed, wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry, I just thought…"

"I'm not going anywhere" he whispered, pressing his face into my neck. "There is nothing in this World that could ever make me leave you, OK?"

"OK" I said as I held him. After a few moments, I stepped back and looked up at him. "But no more of this 'woe is me' crap. I'm so tired of it. If these weeks are going to be our last, I want them to be special. I wanna laugh, and dance, and do all those naughty things you taught me..."

Despite himself, he smiled. He was so handsome when he smiled.

"I don't want to be sad, and mopey, Dean" I said with a soft smile. "I want to be happy"

With a silent nod, he pulled me against him, and while our son stretched and rolled between us, we stood entwined as dawn broke and the Infected crawled from the shadows to reclaim the streets for another day of madness and mayhem.

It would be the three of us until the end.


	71. We Were Home

**A/N - Thank you so much for the reviews, loyal readers! It's so lovely to hear from you all!!! Well, this one came out A LOT sooner than I thought... I was just inspired to write today, how weird is that!?!?!? XD Plus, it's getting close to the big climax and I'm scared, excited, and nervous, and I just want to get it out there for all y'all to read!! So, please do enjoy the update, and keep telling me what y'all think coz your words are like candy to me, and I have a wicked sweet tooth!!! XD**

**Blessed Be XOXOOX**

**P.S. I may have taken some creative liberties with Bobby's place, but seeing as I've not been entirely faithful to the mythology of the series, I figured it doesn't matter all too much... I hope you'll all forgive me if I've gotten it horrible wrong...**

* * *

The endless sky, dotted with fading stars, had darkened with the approaching dawn as we pulled up at the gate of Bobby's salvage yard. The sign hanging overhead, bleached by the unrelenting sun until the letters were barely legible, hung from only a single surviving chain and swayed in the gentle morning breeze.

I looked up at the imposing fence that bordered the secluded property, standing tall despite the World falling down around it, and felt a shudder work its way up my spine, as though someone had walked over my grave as the saying went. It wasn't fear, because I wasn't scared. I was so far past the point of fear that I couldn't even remember what it felt like. No, it wasn't fear, it was the realisation of what this humble home would mean for me.

This was where I would die.

"Home, sweet home" Dean said from beside me, leaning back in his seat. He looked across at me, pushing his fingers through the ruffled mess of his hair as his lips curved in a strained smile.

We hadn't bathed for two days, and even though he didn't exactly smell like a bouquet of freshly picked roses, he still looked breathtakingly handsome. This boy was the embodiment of perfection.

"Well, I was kinda hoping for a house on the beach, Cowboy…" I joked with a playful grin. "But I guess this'll do"

"One day, Princess" he said softly, reaching out to brush a curl from my face. "One day I'll take you and our boy to Mexico. We'll drink tequila on the beach, and watch the sun go down while Junior plays in the waves. And I'll build that house for you, with my own two hands"

"I'm holding you to that" I whispered as he leaned in to press his lips to mine. I returned the kiss with a contended sigh, reminded of our sordid exploits in the abandoned gas station and wanting more. As though it had a mind of its own, my hand trailed up the length of his thigh, reaching for his zipper.

"Jesus" Dean moaned, pulling away and letting out a long breath. He pushed the door open and climbed out into the darkness, hefting a pair of blot-cutters in his hand. "Put it back in your pants, baby, I've got work to do"

Laughing to myself, I watched as he walked across to the gate and effortlessly snipped the rusted lock. The thick chain that had been holding the gate closed for all these months, protecting Bobby's house from the Infected, fell to the ground with a dull 'clink' that echoed in the dark. Dean kicked it away and pushed the gate open, revealing the graveyard inside, the resting place for the carcasses of vehicles long past their prime.

Slipping back in behind the wheel, whistling a Led Zeppelin song, Dean let the car roll forward until we were safely in the confines of the salvage yard. Metal grills and cracked windows, glinting in the glow of the Impala's headlights, stared at us with lifeless expressions.

"It's kinda spooky, isn't it" I said, gazing out the window at the rotting frame of a pickup truck. "It almost seems like they're gonna come alive"

"This isn't a Stephen King book, Lu" Dean grinned, engaging the handbrake and reaching for the door handle. "Things like that just don't happen in real life…"

And that was when an Infected woman, with wild grey hair and a floral pantsuit torn to ragged shreds, decided to make a timely appearance. With an inhuman scream, her lips caked with dried blood and flecks of rotting food, she wrenched the driver's side door open, reaching inside to wreak a vicious and bloody assault on Dean.

"Son of a bitch" he swore through gritted teeth, struggling to free his gun from his belt as she clawed rabidly at his face.

Without even flinching, I picked up the sawn-off shotgun resting at my feet, cocked it, and blew the old hag's head clean off. The echo of the blast rang through the inside of the Impala, and the gruesomely headless body dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"Damn" Dean said, looking across at me with an expression of alarm and pride etched across his rugged features.

"I got your back, babe" I smiled cockily, casually blowing at the smoke spilling from the end of the barrel. "Now let's get this gate shut before more of these rotten fucks show up and turn us into shish kebabs"

"You're so cool" he teased, reaching out to tweak my nose like I was a child.

Poking my tongue out at him, I batted his hand away and pushed him out the door.

"Get your sweet ass moving, boy" I called after him. "I'm getting hungry"

"You're always hungry, Princess" he shot back, drawing the gate closed and fastening it with a brand spanking new lock and chain we had liberated from the gas station.

With our main line of defence secure once more, we drove up to the house and parked the Impala in what would have been the driveway before Mother Nature had reclaimed it for her own. Thick, climbing weeds and tall clumps of dried grass surrounded the house on all sides, and it looked like we might have a bit of a fight to get to the front door.

"Looks cosy" I smiled, easing myself out of the car and stretching the aches from my bloated body. It had been a long drive, and I was looking forward to enjoying a bath in the very near future. I smelled funky, and felt worse.

"It's safe, and that's the main thing" Dean added, popping the trunk open and lifting out our big, black duffel bag, filled with all of the possessions we couldn't bare to leave behind. Slinging it over his shoulder, he walked around to where I stood, slipping his hand into mine and leading me through the overgrown lawn towards the porch.

"How long did Bobby live here before… Well, before?" I asked, stumbling over a crushed skull that grinned up at me with a mouthful of broken teeth.

"Forever, I think" Dean answered, a hint of laughter in his voice. "He was married, did you know that? Before he started hunting, he had a desperate housewife of his very own"

"What happened to her?" I had a good idea that I already knew the answer.

"She was possessed by a demon. He didn't know what to do, and he uh... He ended up killing her" he said somberly, helping me up the steps that groaned alarmingly under our weight. "It's what got him started in all of this"

We stopped in front of the door, which, amazingly, was still standing. Bloodied handprints stained the peeling paint, and I wondered how Bobby had survive for as long as he did confined to a wheelchair. He was a tough old bastard.

"So, this is it" I said, looking up at Dean. "We made it, in one piece and all"

"Yeah" he nodded with a crooked smile. Bending down, he flipped the Welcome mat back and picked up the spare key. Reaching his hand out to unlock the door, he let it swing open.

Darkness, cold and stark, greeted us.

"Come on, Princess" Dean said, easily lifting me into his arms despite my added weight.

"What are you doing?" I cried, wrapping my arms around his neck and praying that he didn't drop me. I had the notion that being dropped, even from this height, would not be good for myself or the baby.

"Carrying you across the threshold" he answered as though I had asked the most stupid question in the history of questions. "It's tradition, ain't it?"

"You are just full of surprises, handsome" I smiled, already planning all the ways I would show him just how much I loved him. And some of them would most likely keep us up for most of the day.

"You ain't seen nothing yet" he grinned, and the promise in his voice sent a pleasant flush across my cheeks.

And so, we stepped inside.

We were home.


	72. I Was Alone

**A/N - Thank you oh so very muich for your lovely reviews, my ever loyal readers! I'm glad you liked it. So, another filler for your reading pleasure... Sorry that it's only a filler, but I'm taking my time before writing the inevitable... It's gonna be a doozie, and it hurts to even think about, so you'll have to excuse my hesitation! I promise, I will get there as soon as I can bear! Rest assured, we're almost there! Anyways, please do enjoy, and as always, keep leaving behind your oh so kind words coz they make me happy!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXO**

**P.S. It may take longer to update the next chapter coz my asshat of a computer shat itself just before I published this! Doing this now on the work computer! Hopefully will be getting it fixed this week!**

* * *

I woke, violently startled from sleep by the resonant echo of glass breaking, sounding sharply in the dusky shadows dancing along the walls of the demon-and-ghost-proof panic room. Fighting against the bedcovers, struggling to free myself from their enticingly warm embrace, I pushed myself into a sitting position made awkward by the bulbous shape of my belly. My heart was thudding furiously in my chest, so loud that it drowned out the _whomp-whomp-whomp_ of the enormous fan spinning lazily overhead.

_He_… _He_ was here…

"No" I breathed, desperately reaching across the bed for Dean. A strangled cry escaped my lips when my trembling hand was met with an achingly hollow space.

I was alone.

My one true love, the single bright spark in the dreary gloom of my life, had not left my side all day. For endless hours of blissful and unadulterated happiness, our bodies had been entwined to the point where it was impossible to tell where he ended and I began. We hadn't been apart for even a moment, not for a single heartbeat, and now he was gone.

He had been taken from me before I could tell him how much I loved him, before I could tell him how sorry I was that I had gotten him into this. Taken by a merciless World before I could beg him for his forgiveness.

He was gone.

And now I was going to die.

Because _He_ was here. The Goddamn Prince of Goddamn Darkness.

The sadistic bastard had come to rip my son from the bloody depths of my womb, violating his fragile body with a bleak and repulsive life force. He would split me open with a song in his heart, and wreak havoc on a World already brought to its knees by the unrelenting virus that had destroyed us.

"No" I whispered, my breath hitching. I wrapped my arms around the mountain of my belly as my soul split at the seams. All of the bravado I had been flaunting in an attempt to hide my true feelings fell away, leaving me nothing more than a whimpering little girl, scared of losing the child I longed to hold in my arms. I didn't want to die. I wasn't ready to die.

There was still so much I wanted to do. So much I needed to do.

I didn't want to die…

Then, the lilting voice of Dean, muttering a colourful string of curses at a glass that had apparently smashed out of mere stupidity, filtered down the stairs and I breathed a shaky sigh of relief. The terror pulsing through my veins had been nothing but a ghastly figment of my overactive imagination. The unfamiliarity of the bed Dean had dragged down from an upstairs bedroom, and the arcane symbols carved across the walls were playing cruel games with my mind.

It was so pathetic that I almost laughed.

Running my fingers through the tangled curls spilling across my shoulders, I pulled the steely façade firmly back in place, pushing the fear deep down into the pit of my stomach where I could continue to ignore it. If I didn't think about it, it didn't exist. And if it didn't exist, then I could go on living this fragile existence.

And stubbornly pretending that everything would be fine was preferable to watching the death sentence that hung precariously over my head.

It made it easier to wake up and face each day. Or, judging by the dusk shadows of the evening, each night.

Carefully hauling myself out of bed with an unlady-like grunt, I pulled on a pair of sweat pants, and an oversized t-shirt emblazoned with Snoopy that stretched taut over the expanding swell of my waist. I walked stiffly to the heavy iron door, wincing at the tightness in my muscles and the ache in my joints. I was sore from head to toe, a souvenir of recent, and enjoyable, indecencies and the lumpy mattress that did nothing for my already tender back. Almost as much as the family we had left behind, I missed our lavish bed back at the hotel. It had only been several days, but I already missed a lot of things that had seemed trivial before.

The soft pillows that had cradled my head like a loving mother. The way the sunlight streamed through the bedroom window, playing across my bare arms or Dean's naked chest. The sound of children playing _Hide and Seek _in the hallway. The smell of vegetables freshly harvested from the rich soil of the atrium. The quiet peace of life before all of this mess had started.

I wanted to go back so badly that it was like a physical pain tearing savagely at my insides.

It hurt knowing that I could never go back…

I wouldn't survive long enough to go back.

But I wasn't thinking about that anymore. I was focusing on being a happy and shiny person who thought of puppies and flowers, not death and darkness.

No matter how much it hurt.

Pushing the door open enough to squeeze my heavily pregnant frame through, I carefully climbed the wooden stairs, following the sound of Deans voice until I found him in the kitchen, wearing only a pair of grey briefs.

Leaning against the doorframe, folding my arms across my swollen chest, I watched him sweep up the mess and dump the shattered remains of the glass into the sink with a forceful expletive. He was adorable when he was grumpy.

"What are you doing, handsome?" I asked, an amused smile playing on my lips. The muscles across his back rippled as he moved, and a sudden heat flushed through me, making me wonder how quickly I could get him back to bed.

"Shit" he winced, turning around to regard me with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Princess, I didn't mean to wake you"

"What is all this?" I yawned, stepping into the kitchen and surveying the mess strewn across the countertop. A box of Frostie Flakes lay on its side so that Tony the Tiger smiled crazily at the roof, beside an open jar of Peanut Butter and a packet of corn chips.

"It's breakfast" he grinned, looking incredibly proud of himself. "I was trying to surprise you with it in bed, but…" He gestured at the broken glass in the sink. "I guess I stuffed it up"

"Oh, baby" I laughed, wrapping my arms around his waist and kissing him. He tasted like Peanut Butter. "You should be careful, I could get used to this"

"You'd better, sweetheart" he smiled down at me, brushing curls from my face. "It's gonna be breakfast in bed every single…" He glanced out the window at the darkening sky. "Well, every single whenever, from here on in"

"Not that I'm complaining" I smiled. "But, uh… Why?"

"Because, one, I love you" he said, pressing his lips softly to mine. "Two, you're getting so big that climbing out of bed is a Herculean feat..." The twinkle of amusement in his eyes as he rubbed my belly was charming enough that I wouldn't hold the playful jibe against him.

"Continue" I said, poking him in the ribs. Hard.

"And, three, because the less you have to leave the panic room, the better I'll feel"

"Oh, that sounds pleasant" I sighed, rolling my eyes. "You want me to stay down there in that cold, dark cell while you get to play outside with all big kids? Not fair, Dean. What the Hell am I gonna do for however many weeks we have left…" I stopped, biting my lip as I realised the implication of my words. "I mean…"

"There's books" he answered, pointedly ignoring what I had said. We were both good at ignoring that which caused us pain. "Bobby's got a lot of books"

"Yeah, I can see" I laughed, glancing over my shoulder at the endless and dusty piles of books lined along the shelving and floors, creating a literary mine-field. "But that doesn't make the fact that you want me to sit down there like a caged animal any less horrible. Dean, you're doing that overprotective thing again, and as much as I love you…"

"Lu, that room could be the one thing that saves you" he said softly. "Please, you have to do this… For me" He pressed his hand to my belly, and the child growing inside me moved against his touch. "For him…"

I looked up at the man who had saved my life all those months ago, at the pain and anguish in his eyes, and I knew that I couldn't argue with him about this. I knew, deep down in the dank cockles of my heart, that the room couldn't stop Lucifer when he came for me. Nothing could stop him from taking what he wanted, but I would do this for Dean.

Because I loved him.

"OK" I smiled, picking up the bowl of crushed Frostie Flakes and corn chips, covered in a generous dollop of crunchy Peanut Butter, and headed back towards the staircase. "But when I'm done with this, you're gonna need to find a way to keep me occupied. Think you can do that, Cowboy?" I teased, looking over my shoulder at the man of my dreams.

His face lit up with a lusty grin.

"You bet you're sweet ass, I can"

And so, the wait began.


	73. Mood Swings

**A/N - HUZZAH!! After a long, nail-biting wait, it would appear that my dang-nammit computer is finally fixed! About freaking time coz I've been having some serious writing withdrawals!! Thank you all so much for your patience, and your reviews, I adore you all for your dedication. So, after much, much trepidation, here's the latest chapter… It's all happening now! So glad you're all along for the ride, it's gonna be bumpy! XD As always, please enjoy!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXO**

* * *

Hell.

I was living a pathetic existence in my own personal Hell.

A cold and depressingly dank Hell where there was no light to breach the shadows that swirled around me… No fresh air to fill my lungs or clear the foggy cobwebs from my troubled mind.

A cruel Hell that had stripped away every last shred of hope, leaving behind an endless wait for the gruesome inevitable to find me.

And I was starting to think that the mind-numbing boredom, the languor that had settled deep in my bones, would kill me long before Lucifer even had the chance.

The days passed lazily from one to the next as the weeks slipped by, so frustratingly slow that I was starting to think time was moving backwards. The hours bled together in a blur while I lived like a prisoner within the claustrophobic confines of the panic room, always under the watchful eye of my paranoid and protective husband. But, unlike the compassion and human decency shown to most prisoners, no matter the crimes committed, I wasn't allowed to step foot outside the walls of my prison.

Dean wouldn't let me leave the room for even a moment, not for anything. I ate my meals in the panic room. I bathed and slept and wasted away the languid hours in the godforsaken panic room, and it was driving me insane.

I couldn't even leave to use the bathroom, relegated instead to using a pail in the corner to do my business. It was frustrating, and humiliating, and I put up a fight every time. But, despite my lengthy and fiery arguments, shouted across the room as I threw whatever I could lay my hands on at him, Dean would not back down. He was determined, and stubborn, and he would not give up the fight to save my life.

It was beyond heroic, and as much as I loved him, there were days when I couldn't stand being near him.

I was restless, driven to the point of madness by the suffocating limits of the panic room walls, and I couldn't help taking out my frustrations on Dean. I hated myself for the way I was treating the one man who would risk his life for mine without hesitation, but I was struggling to hold back the crazy that bubbled just beneath the surface. Unable to contain myself, I yelled at him and screamed at him, cursing him with venom and hatred in my voice that I didn't rightly mean. I threw books at him, and ignored him for days on end, and he put up with it. He shrugged off every horrible word I said to him, and endured my juvenile silences, curling up beside me in bed each night and holding me as though the World around us was bright and shiny. No matter what I said to him, no matter what I did, his love for me never faltered. He deserved a freaking medal for what I put him through.

And it was helping none that, as the weeks melted away, our precious son grew until there was no more room inside my dark depths, and I was swollen to comic and uncomfortable proportions. My belly, a ridiculous mountain of taut, pale flesh, had taken over my body until it felt like I was just along for the ride.

I was unbearably enormous, easily twice the size that Addie had been when we first met her on that fateful day all those months ago. I was so big that it made living miserable and moving near impossible. The baby had taken up residence on my bladder, turning inside me so that his tiny feet tapped against my lungs like Fred Astaire. Even with the fan spinning overhead, there were days where it felt like I couldn't breathe, where my temperature spiked to feverish levels and I almost begged for a quick and merciful end.

But through it all, Dean was there. He mopped the sweat from my brow and the tears from my cheeks with a damp cloth. He spent hours kneading the painful knots from my aching back, and telling me countless stories from his hunting days, never once complaining about my hormonal behaviour.

He tried his best to take my mind off everything that was coming our way, to soothe the aches and pains that haunted me both day and night. He was patient, and loving, and calm.

But nothing could quell my vicious mood swings.

"I want out of this fucking room" I yelled, awkwardly pacing my bulbous frame across the room as I tried to ease the ache that burned deep in my lower back. There was a dull throb rippling along the swell of my abdomen that had kept me from sleep for the last few days. I was tired, and crabby, and feeling particularly feral. It was not my best day ever. "If you don't let me out of this room right Goddamn now, I'm gonna castrate you with my bare hands, so help me God"

"Yes, dear" Dean said casually from where he sat, nestled in a tattered armchair by the door, not looking up from the book he was reading. For someone that hadn't had an ounce of loving in more than two weeks, he was remarkably relaxed.

Out of breath after only a few steps, I stopped pacing, wincing as the pain flared across my belly and back.

"I can't do this anymore, Dean" I said, my lips trembling as I fought back a torrent of tears. "I've never been so uncomfortable in my whole Goddamn life, and it's driving me out of my mind. My back hurts, my feet hurt, my head hurts… I can't breathe… I can't sleep…" I hiccupped, wiping the tears from my eyes before they could fall. "I can't… I can't do this anymore"

"Lu…" he started gently, setting the book down and walking across to where I stood, his rugged features etched with a helpless concern. "Baby, you just need some rest" He reached out for me but I pulled away, crossing my arms across my chest with a teary frustration. I wanted him to hold me, but I couldn't bear to be touched.

This pregnancy was taking a horrific toll on my emotions.

"I've had enough" I snapped. "I feel like a fucking animal trapped in a fucking cage. I'm the size of a fucking elephant, every inch of my body aches, and if I have to use that fucking bucket one more Goddamn time…" I whimpered at the cramp that thundered sharply in my belly, biting my lip to keep from screaming. "I just wish this bullshit was over already…" The words escaped my lips before I even knew what I was saying.

The pain that clouded Dean's beautiful features, burning brightly in his striking green eyes, broke my very heart and soul. I couldn't believe that I had spoken those awful words. Of all the things I had said over these weeks, of all the swearing and yelling, this was the worse.

I would have given anything to take it back.

"I'm sorry" I whispered, horrified at the implications of my words. How could I say something so cruel to the one man who loved me more than life itself? "I didn't mean that, Dean. I'm just… I'm so tired, and this waiting…"

"I know" he said softly. "I know this isn't easy for you, but I… I don't know what else to do. This is the only place I can think of that has any chance of saving you. And I can't… I won't let that bastard take you or our son away from me"

I softened, feeling more like my old self in that one moment than I had in the last month. I forgot about all the pain and frustrations, and the iron walls holding me prisoner. There was only me and Dean, and the love that we shared for each other, and our son.

"I can't even begin to imagine how uncomfortable you are" He rubbed his hand down the mountain of my stomach, and other than several taps against my weary lungs, the child inside me was still. There was no room for him to stretch or roll as he had been doing for months. There was nothing for him to do but wait for nature, or Lucifer, to take him from my womb. "And I know this is hard, but I need you to keep it together. Please… I need you to stay strong for me"

"I'm trying" I sighed. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but I am trying"

"So, calling me a _mother fucking douche_ and throwing a book at my head is your way off keeping it together?" he joked playfully. I was happy to see that my nasty attitude towards him hadn't taken away his humour.

I smiled. It was the first time I had smiled in weeks, and it felt nice. It felt normal.

"Believe it or not, yes" I said, waddling over to the nightmare bed and easing myself down onto the lumpy mattress that had done me no favours. "I know I've been a Grade-A bitch…"

"It's nothing I can't handle, Princess" Dean smiled, sitting down next to me. He brushed his fingers through my hair, tucking a wayward curl behind my ear. "It reminds me of the early days, which is kinda nice"

"Yeah, but at least I had the pin-up body to apologise with" I grinned, bumping my shoulder against his. "Now look at me… I'm a freaking planet" I laid my hands over my belly, so large that I couldn't see my legs. I felt disembodied, fit to burst. It was hard to believe that someone could be so big and not split at the seams.

"You're still the prettiest girl in all the World" he murmured, leaning in to press his lips firmly against mine, working his way into a kiss that made me wish I could make up for my behaviour with some much needed loving. But, I was too bloated and too miserable to please him in the way that he deserved. It was hard to feel sexy when you barely felt human anymore.

Slightly dizzy from the intensity of the kiss, I pulled away and rested my head against his shoulder. This was the longest we had gone without fighting for as long as I could remember, and it felt nice.

I only hoped that I could keep my hormones in check long enough for it to last. I was tired of all the constant ups and downs, the anger and the endless tears. It was exhausting.

"He's giving you Hell, isn't he?" Dean said, rubbing his hand across my belly.

"He doesn't mean to" I grimaced, breathing through the unbearable cramps marching across my belly. It felt like my entire body was giving up on itself, slowly wasting away until, eventually, there would be nothing left of me. "He's probably as uncomfortable as I am"

And probably just as scared.

"You should get some sleep" Dean said softly, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of my head.

"I haven't slept in three fucking days, what makes you think I will now" I said with a vicious sarcasm before I could stop myself. My Goddamn hormones were spiking again. "Sorry" I sighed apologetically, looking up at him. "I didn't mean…"

"It's OK, Princess" he smiled, as understanding as ever. "I know you don't mean it"

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" I asked, shifting uneasily to lie back against the pillows.

"I should be the one asking that" he smiled, pulling a floral comforter over the colossal peak that was my body.

"Yeah, 'cause I've been such a delight to live with for the last… God, how long have we been here?" I yawned, feeling the soft pull of slumber reaching for me with inviting arms. The cramps and aches had died off for the time being, and I was starting to think that I might actually get a few hours sleep.

The thought alone was wonderful.

"A little over forever, feels like" he grinned, tracing nonsense patterns across my belly with his fingers. "And any moment that I get to live with you by my side is a delight" he added softly.

"Even when I'm throwing books at your head?"

"Especially when you're throwing books at my head" he laughed. "Now, get some rest"

"You just want me to sleep so I'm not yelling at you" I murmured, struggling to keep my eyes open. An odd sense of peace had washed over me, taking away the pain, and I was more than happy to take full advantage of the lull.

"Damn straight"

"Love you" I breathed, as the embrace of sleep pulled me under, and the World around me faded to dark.

"Love you, too" Dean whispered.

Little did we know that this would be our last few moments together.

Because the end was waiting for us just around the corner…

And it would not be forgiving.


	74. It Was The End

**A/N - Thank you for the reviews my faithful fans! Love to hear from you. Apologies for this taking so long to come out, but it was hard to write. Originally, I was going to publish it as two chapters, but I figured that you guys had been so awesome that I wouldn't draw it out any longer. Now, you're all probably going to hate me for the ending, but I need you to believe in me. There is method in this madness, I assure you. So, enjoy it as much as you can, and rest assured that I'm working hard on the next chapter so that you don't have to wait too long!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOXO**

* * *

I woke with a strangled cry spilling from my lips and a sharp stab of dread pounding in my heart, roused from a troubled sleep by nothing more than fear itself. There was something in the darkness swirling around me, a wrathful menace that lingered in the shadows, holding a promise of the sorrow and heartache to come.

The night was ominously silent, only the sound of Deans gentle snoring as he slept soundly beside me broke through the desolate gloom. It was haunting, and foreboding, and an unpleasant shiver worked its way up my spine until I could feel it vibrating in my teeth.

Something was coming.

I could feel it in the dank chill of the stale air. I could feel it in the aching throb of my bones. In the static that played along the length of my pale arms.

It was the end.

After all these months, after all the miserable tears and endless hours of waiting, the one moment I feared more than any other was here. I had spent so long fooling myself into thinking that it would not come, hoping and praying that we could find a way to prevent the inevitable, but there was no stopping it now.

It was here, and it would not be forgiving.

But it was too soon. And I wasn't ready…

How could anyone ever be ready for this?

And then, as the World around me crumbled like a stack of cards falling down, it began.

A vicious cramp thundered angrily across the swell of my belly, blazing like wildfire as it ripped through me without mercy, an unforgiving spasm that snaked its way from the base of my spine, cutting a brutal swathe across my abdomen until I feared that it would split me open. It pounded furiously inside me, so strong and relentless that for a lifetime, I couldn't breathe.

Instinctively, I curled into the pain that seemed to be tearing me apart, a white hot flush burning across my whole body and bathing me in a cold sweat. I bit my lip, hard enough to draw blood, trying to keep from crying out as I wrapped my arms around my belly in a desperate attempt to hold myself together.

The pain flared with a malicious intent, an agony unlike any other that had me begging for a swift and merciful end to this ruthless torture. It swelled and soared, and just when I thought I could take no more, when it felt like I would die from this excruciating torment clawing at my insides, it was gone.

But I knew it was only the beginning.

The beginning of the end.

Whimpering, I pushed the covers back, welcoming the frosty air that caressed my overheated body. Even the whisper thin nightgown I wore, stretched tight around my generous curves, was too much. It was stifling, and I was feverish, my blood boiling in my veins. It was unbearable, and I knew, deep in the ache of my heart, that I would not survive this.

Stirred by my movements, Dean woke, reaching for me beneath the covers.

"You alright?" he murmured without opening his eyes, his voice thick with sleep as he pressed a protective hand to my belly. I knew that, even in his dreams, he was always protecting me. "D'ya need to pee again?"

"The baby…" I breathed, swinging my trembling legs over the side of the bed and awkwardly easing myself to my feet. A rush of dizziness washed over me, and I stumbled, clutching the wall to keep my balance as I doubled over and retched.

"The baby?" he called, fully awake in an instant. He sprang fluidly across the mattress to stand by my side, pressing his hand to the small of my back. "What's wrong with the baby?"

A cry escaped my lips as a sudden rush of warm liquid spilled from between my legs, forming a sombre puddle around my bare feet. The dark stain was a stark contrast on the pale concrete floor, spreading around my feet in lazy tendrils.

Struck mute, we both looked down at the growing puddle, knowing with a heartbreaking certainty what it meant.

There was no doubt. No denying what my body had been trying to tell me for the last few days. I had been so concerned with my own needs, so preoccupied with my own discomfort, that I had been oblivious to the signs. But, it was clear now. As clear as a swift kick in the gut.

I was in labour.

The baby was coming.

And with him…

The end.

Another cramp, worse than before, tore through me like a freight train, forcing me to my knees. It roared with such a fiery vengeance that I couldn't silence the scream that forced itself from my depths.

"Oh, God" I gasped, reeling from the aftershocks of the contraction that had stolen the air from my lungs. The child that had been nestled safely inside me for the last nine months, the child that I had been waiting so long to hold in my arms, was ready to make his way into this hellish World.

It should have been the happiest moment of my life, but instead, with everything that was coming our way, it was bittersweet. I wasn't ready for this. I was terrified, scared out of my mind, because I knew that I was going to lose him. The realization of my certain death held no significance. In the wake of everything, it just did not matter…

Because I was going to lose my son.

"Baby, it's gonna be OK" Dean said with a voice that wavered nervously. Falling to the floor beside me, he brushed my tangled curls from my face. He was trying to hide it, but I could feel the way his hand trembled, and I knew that he was just as scared as I was.

This was the end.

"Dean…" I whispered, looking at him as a flood of tears trailed down my cheeks. My heart was thudding frantically in my chest, thrumming so fast that I worried it might break free. The end was here, but I wasn't ready. There was so much I wanted to say… So much I needed to say.

I wasn't ready to die.

"We're gonna be fine" he said, and this time his voice was strong and steady. Gently, almost as though he was afraid he would break me, he helped me to my feet and onto the bed. Reaching for a tattered washcloth, he doused it with water from a glass on the nightstand and wiped it gently across my forehead. He was wearing a convincing façade of calm, but I could see the panic burning brightly in his eyes. "This room is the safest place we can possibly be in. Everything is going to be…"

But, as fate would have it, life would grant us no reprieve.

The heavy iron bar that kept the door locked from the inside slid slowly from its holdings, and, with a low creak that echoed hauntingly within the confines of the room, the door was gently pushed open to reveal a tall figure silhouetted in the doorway. Obscured by shadows, shrouded by a disturbing silence, he stepped into the room with the sleek moves of a predator.

This was it.

This was the end.

"Who the Hell are you?" Dean demanded, moving to block my body with his.

"Do not be afraid" the figure said in a husky voice. The weak light of the moon highlighted his hawkish features, with eyes that glowed wickedly and a dark complexion ravaged by age. I had never seen this man before, but there was something gravely familiar about him. "My name is Hezekiah. I am an Angel of the Lord" He held his arms out as though inviting a loving embrace, and dark shadows flickered in the air around him, taking the form of an outstretched pair of wings.

"That means shit to me" Dean said flatly, covertly reaching for the twelve-inch blade concealed beneath our pillows. His experience with the Angels had not been entirely pleasant, and his complete lack of trust of this celestial being was understandable.

"Castiel has sent me" the Angel said with the barest hint of a smile. "I believe you are acquainted with him"

"Never heard of him" Dean lied with nonchalant shrug. "I think you've got the wrong people, Roma Downey"

Hezekiah gave a soft bark of laughter, shaking his head and stepping closer.

"There's no need to play games, boy. I am here to help you" Standing at the end of the bed, he gazed down at me with a chary smile playing on his thin lips. "At the request of Castiel, I am here to assist with the birth of your son. I am here to keep him safe"

"We don't need your help, Wings" Dean said, standing to face off with the Angel. "I think it'd be best if you turn around and flutter away"

Lying on the bed, wincing through the sharp cramps that raced one after the other across my aching belly, I listened to the resounding throb of my heart that almost drowned out everything else. And then, in that instant, I heard Birdie's voice, heard it as though she were sitting right beside me, whispering softly in my ear. Her words of warning came back to me, and my breath faltered. Clutching my belly, I realised what that prophecy, spoken so many months ago, meant for us now.

_The man of God is lying…_

"No…" I breathed.

_The man of God is lying…_

"No!" I cried, struggling to crawl away from the Angel towering over me. "No, you're lying"

"Easy, child" he sneered. "We don't want you to harm that precious gift of yours now, do we?"

"You son of a whore…" Dean spat, lifting the knife over his shoulder and lunging at the Angel.

Hezekiah didn't even flinch.

I screamed as an unseen force hit Dean in the chest, throwing him across the room and pinning him to the wall. The knife fell from his hand, clattering along the floor to lay useless by the desk. His face twisted in a visage of pain as a line of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Wearing a sinister smile, the Angel moved to sit beside me on the edge of the bed. He let out a contented breath, folding his hands demurely on his lap.

"How are you feeling, Lulu?" Hezekiah asked softly, his voice a cruel attempt at affectionate concern. "How close are the contractions?"

"You stay the Hell away from her" Dean yelled, spitting a stream of blood to the floor. Anger blazed furiously in his eyes, swirling with frustration in their endless depths. "If you lay one finger on her…"

"You'll what?" the Angel laughed, reaching a hand out to stroke his hand along the bare flesh of my trembling leg. "Glare at me with those Hollywood eyes of yours?"

"Don't you fucking touch me, you lying sack of shit" I hissed, kicking out at him as I tried to escape his vile touch. I felt the cold, hard barrel of Dean's sawn-off shotgun digging painfully into my thigh, hidden beneath the rumpled bedcovers, and was grateful that we had been tucking ourselves into bed each night with an army.

"Come now, child" he said gently. "This is a magical time. Let's not ruin it with obscenities"

"Suck my dick" I sneered, pulling the gun free from the blanket and cocking it in a fluid motion. I aimed it at the Angel, and without even a breath of pause, fired.

The spray of the round hit him in the throat, tearing a bloody path through the side of his neck.

He didn't even flinch.

"Hmm, tickles" he said coolly, brushing flecks of flesh and gunpowder from his shoulders. He reached out and plucked the smoking gun from my hands, setting it on the floor and giving a disappointed shake of his head. I should have known that mortal weapons would pose no threat to this Heavenly asshole. I should have known that I could not win this fight. "Really, Lulu. A gun?"

"Please…" I whispered, clenching my teeth as another contraction rumbled deep inside me. I held my breath, willing the child inside me to stay tucked safely in my womb. I didn't want him to be born into this grim and horrible World. I wanted him to have a chance.

"Don't beg, child, it's pathetic" Standing, he shrugged off the deep blue suit jacket he wore, draping it over the back of a nearby chair. Smiling down at me, he rubbed his hands together as his face lit up with delight. "Now, let's see how far along you are…"

"I will kill you, so help me God" Dean screamed, struggling against the invisible bonds holding him prisoner.

"God?" Hezekiah exclaimed, throwing his hands dramatically in the air as he turned to face Dean. He let out a deep bellow of laughter as though it was the funniest joke he had ever heard. "If God had any say in this, don't you think He would have made an appearance by now? Newsflash, boy… God? He's not in the picture. He couldn't care less about you, or this little bitch squeezing your bastard spawn into the World, you hear me? You're. All. Alone"

"I'm going to enjoy wiping that smile from your face" Dean said, his lips pulling back in a defiant snarl. It didn't matter how hopeless things seemed… He was never going to give up.

I loved him so much it hurt.

"You're adorable when you're angry" Hezekiah taunted, patting Dean sardonically on the cheek. He leaned in close, his face barely an inch from Deans. "Now, shut your hole so I can kill your wife and steal your son"

Dean went ballistic, screaming blue murder and thrashing so hard against his veiled constraints that I worried he would hurt himself. His face blazed with a brutal wrath, and I could see the hint of helpless tears shining in his eyes.

The Angel sauntered back over to the bed, whistling softly to himself. He was enjoying himself. The expression of careless disregard staining his European features was chilling.

He sat down beside me, running his fingers across the mountain of my belly.

Despite my bulbous shape, and the cramps running rampant within me, I lunged at him, slapping him hard across the face.

Smiling, he licked at the drop of blood that beaded on his lower lip.

"Feisty" he smirked. "Now, carving that baby from your womb is going to be a delicate operation, and we can't have you bucking around like a wild horse" Standing, he snapped his fingers, and cold chains wrapped themselves tightly around my wrists and ankles, lashing me spread-eagle to the bed.

I fought against the bonds, crying out as they dug painfully into my flesh. I felt like a frightened calf being led into the slaughterhouse.

There would be no escape from this.

"You sadistic fuck" Dean roared, still trying to free himself from whatever held him against his will. "I am going to destroy you…"

"Said the lamb to the lion" a frighteningly familiar, and whimsical voice said from the shadows.

I watched with abject horror as Lucifer, in all of his Unholy glory, stepped casually into the room. With His hands buried in His pockets, He looked around the room at the protection symbols painted on the iron walls, His lips curled into an amused smile.

He was impervious to their influence. He didn't even break a sweat.

We had believed that this place would be our haven, that this room, built from Bobby's blood, sweat and tears, would save us.

We couldn't have been more wrong.

This room would be our last resting place. Our tomb.

This was where we would die.

"Quaint" the Prince of Lies murmured, standing at the end of the bed, rocking back on his hills like a sheepish schoolboy. "Hello, again, Princess"

"She's close" Hezekiah said eagerly, gazing at Lucifer with complete and utter devotion. "The child is ready"

"Good. This body is growing weaker by the minute"

I looked at Him. Really looked at him. His rugged features, stolen from a weak man at the end of his short tether, seemed to be wasting away. There was a sickly grey tinge to His complexion, and His skin seemed to be hanging from His bones. But, the sinful gleam still glowed brightly in his eyes.

"I need that child" He said, his voice low, and desperate.

"You can't have him" I snarled. "He's mine"

Standing to the side, like a disciplined soldier, Hezekiah laughed.

"She's got spirit, that's for sure" he said, looking at me with a vile desire that made my stomach churn. "I'd like to play with her… After, of course"

"Easy, my friend" Lucifer smiled ruefully, not taking His eyes from me. "I don't think you understand what's going on here, Princess. You see, that child has belonged to me since long before he was ever conceived. He's destined to be a King, and one way or another, he will be mine"

I sobbed through another contraction, knowing that Nature would take it's course, and there would be nothing I could do to stop my son from finding his way into the World… And Lucifer's waiting arms.

"Don't listen to him, baby" Dean called, a touch of smugness in his voice. "He needs permission to possess a body. The bastard can't do a thing to our son unless our boy says _yes_"

And babies couldn't speak.

There was a slim-to-none chance that I would survive this, but maybe, just maybe, my son could.

There was a tiny spark of hope left, and I grasped it desperately.

"Well done, Dean, my boy" Lucifer grinned, walking over to him. "You're a lot smarter than I give you credit for. It is true, though. I can't take what's rightly mine without that one, tiny word of acceptance. But, there's a way through it" He turned to smile lovingly at me. "While that precious little baby is nestled inside your belly, the two of you are one. One heart, one soul. If you say _yes_, he says _yes_"

My heart skipped a beat.

"Do you see my dilemma?"

"I'll never say yes" I spat boldly. "I'll die before I ever say _yes_"

"I expected that" He nodded calmly. "But, I have ways to change your mind, and I'd be glad to demonstrate" With a malicious smile, a wolfish smile, He walked across to Dean. Humming a show tune, He pressed His hands to Dean's bare chest, and the acrid stench of burning flesh filled the room.

The scream that burst from Dean's lips, loud enough to shake the walls, sent a rush of goosebumps rippling across my body.

"Stop it!" I cried, fighting against the chains that bit harshly into the soft skin of my wrists, spilling a torrent of blood down my arms. "Stop it, please. Don't hurt him"

"You can end this with the magic word" He grinned manically, pushing His fingers deep into Dean's chest, unleashing a river of blood that dripped a swift stream to the floor.

"Don't you say it" Dean cried, gritting his teeth through the torture. Blood poured from his mouth, staining his perfect teeth. "Don't you dare"

"I… I can't" I sobbed, barely even feeling the contractions pulsing deep in my belly. I felt nothing but a desperate helplessness that rendered me numb to anything else.

"That's it, Lulu" Lucifer smiled, His voice ringing with glee. He pulled His hands from Dean's chest, leaving behind a mess of sizzling, blistered flesh that wept thick tears of bright red blood. "Say it!"

"Lu, don't" Dean pleaded wretchedly. There was no fear in his eyes, only a fiery defiance that broke my heart. He was ready to die for me… For our son… "You made me promise, now I need you to do the same for me. Save him. Save John"

John. The child made from our love. The child we both wanted more than anything.

The child we would both die for.

But how could I choose between the two of them? How could I choose who would die?

I could sacrifice myself in a heartbeat, but not Deans. I loved him more that I thought it was possible to love another living soul, and I couldn't let him die for me.

"I can't…" I breathed, tears cascading down my cheeks. "Dean, I'm sorry… I can't…"

"Please" he said softly, his lips trembling. "Please…"

We shared an intense look, our hearts beating in sync, our souls fitting together like they were made for each other.

I couldn't breathe.

It was Sophie's Choice. I could lose my soul mate, or my child. Sentence one to death so the other could survive.

"Come on, Princess" Lucifer urged expectantly. "Say it"

As a tear traced down his cheek, Dean mouthed 'I love you', and I knew what I had to do. No matter how much it hurt, I knew what I needed to do.

I closed my eyes, listening to the manic beat of my heart, and said the one word I never thought I would have the strength to say.

"No…"

"I was afraid you'd say that" Lucifer sighed sadly. With an effortless flick of His hand, as though He was swatting away an insect buzzing around His face, He snapped Dean's neck.

And the sound of my heart breaking echoed through the darkness.


	75. Oh My God

A/N - Oh God I'm so ashamed of all the spelling mistakes and grammatical errors in the last chapter… I was so excited to get it out that I didn't proof read it properly. Anyway, thank you everyone for the reviews, I had a feeling the ending would illicit a few sad hearts! Glad you all seemed to like it, and that your faith in me has stayed true… This chapter isn't one of my best, but it gets the point across. We are so close to the end that I can practically taste it! Please enjoy, my friends, and feel free to drop a review or two coz I adore reading your awesome words!

Blessed Be XOXOXOXO

* * *

It felt like I was drowning.

Watching the vibrant life drain from the emerald depths of Dean's eyes as he lay lifeless on the cold floor, the very eyes that had rendered me lost and held me captive at the same time, it felt like I was drowning in the endless shadows that swirled savagely around me. They wrapped me tight in an icy embrace of heartache, pulling me deeper into the shroud of darkness until it felt like I couldn't breathe. Until it felt like I would never find my way out.

He couldn't be dead.

He was Dean Winchester.

A warrior. A hero. A God among mere mortals.

He couldn't be dead…

"Does this change your mind?" Lucifer asked cruelly, dusting off His hands. A cocky grin stretched across his haggard features as He turned to face me, taking pleasure in my despair.

Standing off to one side, in the shadow of the Devil, Hezekiah wore a sneer that chilled me to the bone. He was enjoying this. This was a game to him. It excited him, aroused him…

And as soon as I got the chance, I would kill him with my bare hands and a song in my heart.

"No" I whispered, fighting to find my voice in the thick cloud of sorrow that seemed to be swallowing me. I could not take my eyes from the inert form of Dean. Even though death was taking up residence in the body I had mapped with my lips and my fingers, the body that fit my own as though we were made for only each other, he still looked like the man I adored. He still looked like the man who had been my Knight in Shimmering Armour when I needed him the most. Who had brought me so much happiness in a World of nightmares…

How could he be gone when I could still feel him in my heart? In my soul?

How could he be dead when I needed him the most?

"Come on, Lulu" Lucifer sighed, pushing His fingers roughly through the sandy blonde hair that didn't truly belong to Him. "Dean is dead… What else have you got to lose?"

Dean was dead.

Hearing the words, even just thinking them, hurt like a physical pain, but they were true.

My love, my light, my soul mate… The man created for me alone, was dead.

He had died for me. For our son. And it would not be in vain.

I would never give this bastard what he wanted.

Never…

I looked up at Lucifer, hating Him more than I had ever hated anything. More than the drunken driver who had taken my parents from me. More than the Infection that had destroyed my beautiful sister.

I hated Him so much it was like an ache clawing at my insides.

"No" I said, my voice stronger this time. I had already lost my husband. I was not about to lose my son. I would be strong for him. I would be the Warrior Princess Dean had trained me to be.

"Maybe _I_ can change her mind" Hezekiah said, stepping forward to look down at me. He licked his lips, and if I hadn't been chained to the bed, I would have ripped his throat out with my teeth. "I'd be more than happy to try…"

"There's no need for that, my friend" Lucifer smiled, patting the Angel affectionately on the shoulder. "At least, not yet. Lulu… Princess… How about I make you a deal"

I ignored him, shifting uncomfortably in my constraints as a contraction rippled through me. It was getting close, now. I could feel it.

This child was going to be born whether I liked it or not.

"If you say _yes_… If you give me the child…" He paused, giving weight to the words that spilled like acid from His lips. "I'll bring Dean back, good as new. I'll bring him back and the two of you can live your _happily ever after_. Just say _yes_"

My heart gave a painful lurch, and for a briefest of moments, for a single beautiful second, I believed Him.

I would give anything to see Dean alive again. To see him breathe and smile and laugh and kiss me again, to feel him in my arms and listen to the steady thrum of his heart, but I could not sacrifice the child that had been a part of me for all these months.

Besides, He was the Prince of Lies, and His words meant nothing to me.

"Go fuck yourself" I spat, focusing my attention on the fan spinning overhead and not the agonising cramps tearing me apart. The contractions were growing stronger with each one that roared through me, and the urge to push was getting unbearable.

The baby was coming.

"Lulu" Lucifer said through clenched teeth, frustration rolling off Him in angry waves. "Be reasonable here. Does this child really mean more to you than the man who saved your life and stole your heart?

I ignored him.

"Say _yes_, and this baby will live the life of a King" He sat down beside me, reaching out to brush a loose curl from my face. His touch was tender, and it sickened me. "Say _yes_, and I'll let you live"

I said nothing.

"JUST SAY THE FUCKING WORD!" He bellowed, and the room around us trembled. Standing, He kicked a chair across the room. It hit the wall and exploded into a million pieces.

"No" I said softly, my heart racing furiously. I was terrified. I had never been so scared in my entire life, but I would not let Him see my fear. I would not give Him the satisfaction.

"Fine, have it your way" He looked at Hezekiah, and nodded.

The Angels features glowed.

I watched as he held out his hand, summoning Dean's fallen knife into his grasp. With a sadistic smile, he walked towards me, playing casually with the knife. It glinted in the dim light.

"What are you going to do?" I sneered, looking across at Lucifer, leaning against the wall with His arms crossed. The look of furious exasperation staining His features was worth whatever Hezekiah had planned. "Kill me? Then who's gonna say that precious little word of yours?"

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you" the Angel smiled maliciously. "At least, not right away. I want to make this last"

And he did.

I had no concept of time as he sliced the blade repeatedly into my pale flesh, spilling my blood and tears across the bed. The smile never left his face as he cut into me, again and again, carving a gruesome mural along the planes of my body. He worked with the precision of a doctor, his hands unnervingly steady as he drew the blade down the length of my arm, splitting me open like a ripe piece of fruit.

My screams echoed hauntingly between the walls of the panic room.

"You can stop this, Princess" Lucifer called from where He stood. "All you have to do is say the magic word, and all of this will be over"

"Fuck… You" I gasped, closing my eyes against the agony pulsing through me.

"Do you really want this?" He asked, moving to stand over me. "Do you really want your child to die?"

"I'd rather he were dead…" I spat, straining against the chains that held me prisoner. "Than be violated by you"

He couldn't win, and that gave me strength.

With a gentle laugh, the Prince of Darkness licked the tip of His forefinger, and drew it gently across my cheek.

My flesh sizzled, and I fought the urge to retch.

But I didn't scream. I wouldn't give Him the pleasure.

Smiling, His stolen face hanging lazily from His cheekbones, he stepped back to give Hezekiah room to continue his work. And the Angel was happy to oblige.

He pressed the blade to the tender flesh of my inner thigh, something so intimate that I couldn't suppress the shiver that raced up my spine. I opened with a torrent of blood that pooled between my legs.

"Is that all you've got, you limp dick asshole" I taunted, grinning through a contraction that I barely felt. I wanted this to be over. I was so tired. "My Nanna had more balls than you, fuck face"

Without breaking stride, the Angel hit me hard across the face with a closed fist.

I grunted as pain flared through me, bouncing through my head like a sadistic jackhammer. Wincing, I turned to spit a stream of blood across the pillow. It was not fun.

"Pussy!" I snarled. "I bet you like taking it up the …"

He hit me again, and I could tell he liked it. Inflicting pain was like a drug for him, like sexual pleasure. He lifted his fist to hit me again, and I smiled.

I wanted it to be over.

"I do believe she's toying with you" Lucifer laughed, gently pulling the Angel away from me. "Naughty girl, Lulu. There'll be no quick escape from this. You know there's only one way to make this stop"

"I'll never say _yes_, asshole" I smiled, and it felt like my cheek was broken. "Do whatever the fuck you want to me, 'cause I will never, _ever_ say _yes_ to you"

"Do you really want to test that theory?" He asked in a low, threatening voice, bending down until His face was close enough to mine that I could see the blood-shot vessels in His eyes.

"There's nothing you can do, motherfucker" I grinned, holding his fierce gaze without a single pulse of fear. This was how my World would end. Not with a bang, or a whimper. "You kill me, and you're fucked. It's the end of the line, honey-bunny, and the fat lady's gonna sing her fat ass off. Hasta la vista, baby…"

And then I laughed.

I watched His face contort in a hideous visage of rage. It was the laughing that made him snap.

With an inhuman cry, and eyes blazing, He pulled the knife from Hezekiah's hand and held it high over His head.

This was it. The end was here.

And I couldn't have been happier.

Closing my eyes, I let out a long, weary sigh, and waited for the sweet release of death to take me away from this pain and anguish.

It would all be over soon, and if there was an ounce of mercy left in this World, Dean and I would be together again, with our son. We would be a family.

"I love you" I whispered, praying that my child would forgive me. I could not give him life, but I could save him. I could spare him the bleak future of Lucifer's vile intent.

A heartbeat passed as I waited for what was to come.

Then another…

And another…

I opened my eyes to find Lucifer towering over me, and Hezekiah standing faithfully beside Him, the knife glinting barely an inch from my chest.

But they weren't moving. It was almost like they were frozen…

"My timing has always been impeccable" a deep, jovial voice said from the shadows.

An elderly man, with a complexion the colour of molasses and curly white hair, stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back. He wore a red and orange Hawaiian shirt that seemed to glow in the darkness. It was so ridiculously cheerful that I almost laughed.

A sudden feeling of serene calm washed over me, and the pain that felt like it had been etched into my very bones faded away. I was filled with happiness, and light, and so much faith that I thought I might explode.

There was no mistaking who He was. I could feel it in my heart.

"Oh… My… God" I breathed.

His weathered face lit up with a broad grin, revealing a mouthful of crooked white teeth.

"Precisely"


	76. Father, Forgive Me

_**A/N - Wow, your reviews have been overwhelming! I'm so excited that everyone is liking the story. When I started this, so so many months ago, I honestly never thought it would turn out to be so epic… I never planned to include Lucifer or God or any of that hullabaloo! But, I'm actually kinda glad I did. It has been so much fun to write, and I am having a blast. Thank you all so much for following me, and reviewing… It's so touching to know that you all like my work =) So, here's the quasi-conclusion. Obviously, I've had to take a **__**huge **_**amount of creative liberty with this, but I hope you like it regardless… And, as a thank you for staying faithfully by my side, I will let y'all in on a little secret… This ending is not the end. I cannot bare to leave behind this World just yet, and I still have some more surprises planned for our fearsome survivors. Please, as always, enjoy…**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

I stopped believing in God when I was six.

My family used to be religious. We went to Church every Sunday, we said grace before all of our meals, and we never, ever spoke the Lords name in vain.

We got Henry, fat yellow lab who adored chocolate cake and long belly rubs, not long after I was born. And I loved him with all my heart. We were inseparable. He slept in my bed, he ate breakfast from my plate much to Mamma's annoyance, and he endured my endless forays in dressing him up in doll's clothing with nothing more than a big doggy grin. And every night, before Mamma tucked us into bed, we would say our prayers. I would say them for Henry because he was a dog, and he could not talk, but I knew God would listen anyway. Mamma had always said to me that He was a kind and loving God, who loved each and every one of His creations, so Henry and I prayed that we would be together forever.

Life, however, had other plans.

I came home from Sunday School one morning only to find out that my beloved Henry, my best friend in the whole wide World, had escaped the yard and been hit by a car. He was dead, and he would not be coming back to me. It was my first experience with death, and I cried so hard I made myself sick. Mamma told me that he was with God now, that he was happy and safe in Heaven with Nanna and Pop, both of whom had died long before I was born. But I did not want him to be in Heaven with people I didn't even know. I loved him, he was my best friend, and I wanted him to be with me. So, that night I prayed to God. I asked him to bring back my dog because I missed him and I was sad.

But no matter how many times I prayed, no matter how hard I begged God to bring him back, Henry stayed dead, and I lost my faith.

I stopped saying my bedtime prayers, and refused to go to Sunday School. Mamma cried when I told her that I hated God, and nothing she said could make me feel differently.

God had failed me, so I gave up on him.

But now, here I was in the resplendent presence of the Almighty Himself. God, in all His magnificent glory, stood before me looking like a Floridian retiree, and I knew that everything was going to be alright. I had faith that everything was going to work itself out.

"You're…" I breathed, struggling to find my voice. God was standing before me. _The_ God, _the_ Creator… What did you say to the supreme being that had created life as we knew it?

"Yes" He smiled, the freckled flesh around His eyes crinkling. He looked like a Grandpa.

"You're Him… You're really Him, aren't you?"

"Yes, child" He said, stepping around the immobile form of Lucifer without so much as a glance in His direction. He sat down on the bed, gazing down at me with a tender affection that melted my heart. I was safe now. He would keep me safe. "And I am truly sorry that I didn't come sooner. I've been… detained" He brushed His fingers against my bruised cheek, and a pleasant warmth spread through me. "Oh, child, look what He's done to you…"

"I didn't give in" I said with pride as He pulled the knife from Lucifer's frozen grip and let it fall to the floor. "I wouldn't give Him what He wanted"

"I know, Princess" He smiled, reaching out to gently release me from the torment of the thick chains wrapped cruelly around my wrists. He untangled them from my torn and ragged flesh, wincing at the thin streams of blood that spilled down my arms. It felt like they had cut me to the bone. "And I am so proud of you"

The relief of being free was instantaneous. Gasping at the sharp pain that thundered through me, my muscles aching from having been imprisoned for so long, I carefully eased my ruined body away from Lucifer. He towered over me, as motionless as a statue carved from stone, but the evil glint in His eyes frightened me. I looked up at Him, feeling light headed as I realised just how close to death I had come. I had been ready to die.

This felt like a second chance and I had the sudden desire not to waste it.

"You have been so brave, Lulu" He said softly, looking directly at Lucifer with an expression of shame and disgust. "And I am so very, very sorry that you have been burdened with all of this. I never wanted this for you… I never wanted this for anyone. If I could have stopped it, I would have…" He released my ankles, flinging the bloodied chains to the floor.

"Why me?" I murmured, wiping blood from my eyes. I was covered in so much blood that it looked like I was wearing a macabre form of body paint. "Why does He want my baby?"

"Because, my child" God smiled, running a hand down the swell of my belly. The pain of the contractions faded with his touch, my very own divine epidural. "This child is going to change the World. He is destined for great things. As are you…" Leaning forward, He tenderly pressed His lips to my forehead, and I was filled with such a brilliant white light that it felt like I might float away. It pulsed through me like liquid bliss, reaching from the ends of my curls to the tips of my toes.

I watched with amazement as my body mended itself before my eyes, the cuts and burns and blood fading until my pale flesh was whole and flawless once more.

He healed me.

My Saviour.

"Now, I don't want you to be scared" He said, rising to His feet and dusting off the hilariously gaudy shirt He wore. "This will be over quickly, I assure you"

"What are you going to do?" I asked, curling myself up at the top of the bed, hugging my arms around me belly. The baby was close. It wouldn't be long before he was here.

"I'm going to fix this" He said with a determination in His voice that sent a wave of goosebumps along my arms. Letting out a long breath, He gave a forced flick of his hand and Lucifer came alive with a potent battle cry.

When He realised I was not where I had been, and that the knife was no longer in His hands, He spun around, His lips pulled back in a vicious snarl. When He saw the elderly man in the ridiculous shirt, He fell to His knees with an anguished cry.

"Father?" He whispered, fear clouding His ragged features. He knew what was coming, and it frightened him.

I liked that He was scared. It gave me much joy to know that He could feel fear.

"Hello, my son" God said gently, wearing a strained smile.

"I… I…" Lucifer stammered nervously.

"Get away" Hezekiah yelled, moving to stand beside his brother. His devotion was almost touching.

"You don't get to speak" God bellowed, staring at the Angel with a fierce fury. "You have disgraced me, you spiteful brat. What you did to this beautiful young girl was despicable, and I hope you burn in Hell" He clicked His fingers, and, with a pained scream, Hezekiah disappeared in a burst of light.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing out loud. The bastard deserved every last inch of pain that could possibly be inflicted upon him.

Lucifer moaned, mourning the loss of His faithful follower. Or perhaps, he was lamenting His own imminent demise, however painful and horrific it would be.

I couldn't wait to see it.

"My child, what have you done?" God asked, looking sadly at His fallen son.

"I did it for you, Father" Lucifer replied desperately. "Everything I've done… Everything… It was for you. Always for you"

"Did you really think this is what I wanted?" God yelled, His hands clenching into fists. "I made these beautiful creatures from scratch, I made them from my own image, and you destroy them? How did you think I would feel about that, Lucifer? Did you really think I would be happy?"

"Have you seen what they do in your name, Father?" Lucifer cried. "They kill each other… They rape children, and they poison the World that _you_ gave them, and they do it all in your name. They don't deserve your love. Not a one of them deserves _you_"

"I did not create them perfect, I know that. They have not always been as compassionate and benevolent as I had hoped they would be, but I loved them nonetheless" God said, slowly kneeling before the fallen Angel. "Just as I loved you"

"I did this for you" Lucifer whispered. "Please, Father… I only did this for you"

"I know, child. And now, I have to do this for you"

I watched a single tear trace a lonely trail down Lucifers cheek, but I felt no sympathy for Him. After everything He had put this World through, after everything He had done to me, I couldn't wait for Him to die.

And I hoped it hurt.

"Please…" Lucifer breathed, His lips trembling. "Father, forgive me…"

"I love you" God said gently, and I could see the gleam of tears in His eyes. I actually felt sorry for Him, for what He had to do. This was His son, after all, and it couldn't be an easy choice. "Know that I will always love you" Closing His eyes, He leaned forward and pressed a tender, loving kiss to Lucifers forehead.

There was a flash of brilliant white light, so bright that it almost blinded me, and the ground trembled.

When it faded, Lucifer was gone.

And the World felt different. It felt full, and vibrant, holding a promise that we were yet to discover.

"It is over" God said, climbing stiffly to His feet. He sounded heartbroken, and I wanted nothing more than to give Him a grateful hug. He had made the ultimate sacrifice, and I had no idea how I would ever be able to thank Him.

"He's… Is He really gone?" I whispered, pushing myself clear from the bed and standing on surprisingly steady legs.

"All of it" He said, reaching out to take my hand in His.

"I don't understand" I frowned.

"The Infection… The demons and the vampires and the darkness that had been plaguing this World… All of it was tied to Him, and with Him gone…"

"It's over?" I gasped. Everything that had haunted the shadows, everything that we had been fighting against for so very long…

Was it really over?

"There will be no more fighting, no more death and destruction" He smiled. "It is over"

"Oh my…" I breathed, clutching a trembling hand to my chest. "Oh my…"

"I must go now" He said suddenly, releasing His hold on my hand.

"You're leaving?" I exclaimed. I didn't want Him to go. "But, there's so much I want to know. So much I need to ask you. Like, what's the meaning of life, and what came first, the chicken or the egg… I have so many questions"

"I know, child, but I have much work to do" He said apologetically. "I have a lot of new souls coming my way…"

"You mean, they're all going to Heaven?" I asked with a happy disbelief.

"After everything that they have been through, it is the least I can do" He took me gently into His arms, embracing me with an almost paternal love. "The World is yours now, and all I ask is that you take care of it…" He let out a soft chuckle. "You know, it took me six whole days to make it"

"Will I ever see you again?" I breathed, trying hard not to cry.

"You never know" He smiled, pulling away and brushing His fingers through my hair. "I don't know if you've heard, but I do work in mysterious ways"

"So I've heard" I laughed, feeling the gentle twinge of another contraction. The time had come.

My son was ready, and for the first time since I had discovered I was pregnant, I couldn't wait for him to be born. He was safe now. He would have the life I had longed for him to have.

I couldn't wait to meet him.

"But…" God said, a broad grin stretching across His midnight features. "I will leave you with a parting gift. God bless, Princess, and good luck"

Then He was gone.

And, with a soft moan from where he lay, Dean stirred.

He was alive.


	77. John Nathaniel Winchester

**A/N - Thank you to everyone for reviewing and reading, I am so touched that so many people are following this story. It has turned into something bigger than I could ever imagine, and I completely adore this World… I never want to leave!! So, yet again (Boy am I on a roll!!!), here is another update, bringing to a close all the drama and heartache from the last few months… at least for now =P It's not that long, but seeing as I've never given birth, I abbreviated it where I could. Anyways, I hope you all like it, and that it lives up to your expectations… And, as ever, feel free to leave behind your loving words coz they are like life blood to me!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

Outside, a new day dawned like so many before it. The darkness gave way to a brilliant rush of daylight like any other morning, but this time, it was different. It was new, and fresh.

It held the promise of a magnificent future to come.

This was the first day. The first day of a life I could not wait to live.

A new beginning lingered in the gentle breeze that filtered through the golden leaves of the towering Elm trees, whispering a dulcet melody as vibrant colours streaked across the endless sky. The sun, so full and red and wondrous, peaked over the horizon, spreading a glorious light across the desolate lands that belonged to us once more.

After months of fighting, after years of hiding from the evil that haunted the shadows, the World was ours. There would be no more death or destruction at the hands of the Infected, no more agony or horror, because all the nightmares that had prowled the streets no longer existed.

The vampires, and the ghosts, and the demons… They were nothing more than myths now.

The World was ours alone.

Forever and always.

"I don't get it" Dean frowned as I held him tightly in my arms, my face buried in the curve of his neck as I sobbed with an overwhelming sense of exhilaration. "Where's Lucifer? And what do you mean that it's over? What's over?"

For the longest time, I couldn't speak. I had lost him, my heart had broken clean in half and my soul had shattered when he had been taken so cruelly from me. I had seen him die, and I was afraid that if I let him go, for even just a moment, he would fade away. I was afraid that I would lose him again, and I would not be able to survive it again.

I had him in my arms, and I would never, ever let him go.

There was, however, just one thing we needed to do, and then our World would be truly perfect.

"I'll explain it all later, I promise" I choked through the flood of tears that spilled across the tanned slope of his bare shoulders. Composing myself, I gently pulled away, holding his perfect face in my hands as I studied the ruggedly beautiful features of the man who would always be the keeper of my heart. "But right now, we have a slightly more pressing matter at hand"

Curled up on the cold, hard floor of the panic room, wrapped in the arms of my soul mate, I could feel that it was time. My body had been made to bring this child into the World, and right then, there was nothing that I wanted to do more.

"The baby?" Dean breathed, a flicker of fear shadowing his face. But there was happiness burning brightly in his eyes, and I knew he was as eager as I was to finally meet our son.

We had spent so long hoping and praying for this day, all the while knowing that it might never come, and now it was here.

It was time.

"Yeah" I grinned, welcoming the rising contractions that heralded the looming arrival of our boy. They thundered through me like razor blades, but the pain no longer mattered because I knew what this moment would mean for us. For the World.

The birth of our son would herald a new age.

"What do I do?" he asked desperately, as he fidgeted nervously, scratching his fingers through the tousled mess of his hair. His flustered state was adorable. "I'm supposed to get hot water and blankets, or something, ain't I? I used to watch that _Dr Sexy MD_ show, but they had all those machines and sexual tension…"

"First of all, Cowboy, you need to calm down" I laughed, breathing heavily as I eased myself to all fours, relieving some of the pressure. I had seen a hundred medical shows, and from what I had seen, it felt like the baby was crowning. "Women have been pushing out babies since the dawn of time, and this isn't gonna be any different. Baby, you just need to calm down and let nature take its course"

"How can you be so calm?" he smiled, carefully helping me to my feet and supporting me as my legs trembled. "I've faced things that would reduce most people to a puddle of piss without so much as flinching, but, right mow, I'm scared shitless. How the Hell are you keeping it together?"

"Because I know that everything's gonna be OK" I said, kissing him softly. Only moments ago I was scared that I would never be able to kiss him again, and just feeling his flesh pressed against mine made me giddy. "It's all gonna work out, handsome. You've just gotta have faith"

"You're amazing, you know that?" he said as we inched closer to the bed. Dean faltered when he saw the blood that stained the sheets, and I could feel him tense. "Baby, you mind telling me what happened here" he said, his voice low.

"Not now, Dean" I grimaced, reaching for a clean blanket tucked in the bottom drawer of the nightstand, and throwing it across the stains. I didn't want to think about what had happened to me on this bed, I only wanted to bring this child into the World. "It's a thrilling story, it really is, but I'm a little busy here" I lowered myself onto the bed, tucking the pillows beneath my lower back and drawing my legs to my chest.

This really wasn't the ideal environment for giving birth. I had always imagined being in a pristine hospital room, surrounded by doctors and nurses and enough drugs that I would barely feel a thing. But we didn't have any other choice, and as long as I had Dean by my side, I knew things would be OK.

"I've really gotta stop dying just when the story gets good" he sighed, sitting down on the bed beside me, brushing loose curls from my sweaty brow.

"I love you" I whispered, feeling another contraction swell within me. This one was big, and I felt the intense need to push as a fierce heat tore through me like a freight train.

It was time.

"I love you, too" Dean smiled, leaning in to press a firm, reassuring kiss to my lips. We were in this together. The two of us, hearts and hands entwined as we brought our son into the World.

The contractions peaked, and I pushed, screaming and crying, summoning every last ounce of strength that I could find as the baby made his way through my depths. Dean held my hand, bearing the brunt of my agony when I crushed his fingers, whispering words of love and encouragement into my ear and tenderly mopping the sweat from my brow.

I felt myself tearing open, giving way to the new life that I had nurtured beneath my heart for nine months, and with a healthy cry that echoed gloriously through the room, a cry I never thought I would hear, our son was born.

"Oh my God" Dean cried, cradling the squalling baby boy in his arms. "Look what we did"

He was tiny.

He was so tiny, and so perfect, and he was ours.

"Hey, little guy" I sobbed, the pain and exhaustion of this long, terrible night forgotten the instant I laid my eyes on this beautiful little person made from our love. "Oh my God, he's… He's perfect"

"Welcome to the World, Johnny" Dean whispered, gently placing the baby into my eager arms.

John Nathaniel Winchester.

I felt my heart bursting at the seems with pure love and devotion as I gazed down at our son.

I had been waiting so long to hold him, to breathe in his newborn scent, and now that it was finally here, I was overcome with so many emotions that I couldn't stem the flow of tears spilling down my flushed cheeks. I had only met this tiny soul, but already I loved him more than I thought it was possible. I never wanted to let him go. I would give my life for him.

I was a mother, and it was the most amazing feeling in the entire World.

"I am so proud of you" Dean said softly, curling himself around me and gazing down at our son. Our three hearts beat together, and it would be the three of us against the World for eons to come.

"You weren't so bad yourself, Cowboy" I smiled, pressing a soft kiss to John's downy soft head.

He smelled like Autumn.

Together, we watched as our child settled, falling silent as he nestled himself closer to my heart. And when he opened his eyes, seeing the World for the very first time, they were green.

Just like his daddy.


	78. The World Was Ours

**A/N - Thanks for the kind words, lovely fans. Yay! The baby has been born! That felt like the longest pregnancy EVER =D So, I guess it's back to the real World for them now. But, rest assured, I still have a fair bit to write… I'm aiming for 100 chapters, but don't hold me to that! Any way, I hope you enjoy, and thank you all so much for reading!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

I was so in love with my son that it actually hurt.

My heart, fluttering happily within my chest, ached with devotion and adoration, and I was filled with such an overwhelming sense of completion that it felt like my flesh would split at the seams. Never before had I ever seen anything more beautiful, or more perfect, than the child that I cradled in my arms, the child whose heart had beat beneath my own for what seemed like a lifetime.

He was only three hours old, but already he was my whole World. I had been made for him alone. I lived and breathed for him.

I could not imagine my life without him, and it was hard to believe that I had ever existed before this moment. I was so head-over-heels in love with this tiny, perfect creature that I couldn't bear to be apart from him for even the briefest of moments.

I had fought so hard for him, I had been through so much to see that he was born, and nothing in God's green Earth could ever make me leave him.

"So, it's just… over?" Dean asked from where he stood at the steps of the porch, looking out over the eerily quiet salvage yard.

Around us, the day was breathtaking. It had dawned with a stunning magnificence, full of hope and promise. It was begging for us to get out there and live. There was nothing we couldn't do.

The sky was a cloudless ocean of azure blue, stretching endlessly across a lush landscape painted with vibrant colours of green and gold as the trees readied themselves for a flourishing Fall. The intoxicating scents of blossoming flowers and sun-kissed grass carried on the soft breeze, leaving the unpleasantly familiar stench of the Infected and rotting corpses long forgotten.

The World had been reborn. It was fresh, and inviting.

It was ours.

"We're free" I smiled, brushing my fingers across the cherubic swell of Johns cheek as he slept, swaddled in a blue flannel shirt and content after his very first feed. Every inch of him was sinfully perfect. From the soulful eyes he had inherited from his daddy, and the bowtie pout of his pink lips, to his ten, tiny fingers, and ten, tiny toes. I could not take my eyes off him.

"I don't get it" Dean sighed uneasily, turning away from the picture-perfect scenery and moving to sit beside me on the wooden loveseat. Slinging an arm across the back of the seat, he gazed down at our son with a blissful smile. I knew that he felt everything I did. I knew he was just as in love with our son as I was. "How is that even possible?"

"It was all tied to Lucifer" I said, nestling closer to Dean and leaning my head back against his shoulder. "When God… When He did whatever it was that He did, He destroyed it all. It's gone. Everything that hid in the shadows, killing our loved ones… Everything that we've been afraid of for so many years… It's over, Dean"

"I… I don't… I just don't understand how it can be over so easily?" He let out a long breath, stroking a finger against John's impossibly tiny hand.

Without waking, the baby opened his hand and curled his fingers around Deans.

It was so adorable I could have cried.

"Isn't this what you've always wanted?" I asked, looking across at him.

"Of course it is" he said. "It's just… I've been hunting for over twenty years, it's all I know. And now that it's over… I honestly don't know what to do"

"Well, Cowboy" I smiled, returning my gaze to the child sleeping in my arms. "All that's left for you to do is lavish attention on me and Johnny. Think you can handle that?"

"Sounds easy enough" he laughed, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of my head.

Together, we watched as our son slept peacefully, amazed that we had been able to create something so beautiful and perfect. It had seemed so easy, yet so difficult at the same time.

"I always wanted this, y'know" Dean said softly. "I never could have admitted that to Dad, but this is what I wanted. A wife, and kids… A normal life. But, he expected me to be the perfect soldier, head in the game, fighting the good fight. All I ever wanted was to settle down and have a family of my own"

"And now you have us" I smiled, lifting my head to kiss him firmly on the lips.

"And I wouldn't change that for anything in the World" he breathed, returning the kiss with a gentle eagerness. Pulling back, he gazed at me with a … "I'm sorry I couldn't…"

"Dean, you have nothing to apologise for" I said.

"But what that son of a bitch did to you…" I had reluctantly told him about my torture at the hands of Hezekiah, and to say that he was angry was an understatement. If there had been anything to kill anywhere within a hundred mile radius, anything left over from _before_, he would have hunted it down and taken his time, enjoying every second of it. I knew what he had done in Hell. I knew what kind of pain he could inflict.

"It doesn't matter now" I said, even though I was worried the memory of it my haunt me for a long while to come. I looked down at the baby, losing myself in the undying love that swelled inside me. "All that matters is that I have you, and I have him"

Almost as though he knew we were talking about him, Johnny stirred, whimpering softly as he nestled closer to me. Closer to my heart, beating only for him.

"I know I promised that I'd never love anyone else as much as I love you…" I started, brushing my fingers across Johnny's downy soft hair. It was a golden bronze colour, seemingly the only thing he had inherited from me. "But you've got some competition"

"I think, in this case Princess, I can make an exception" Dean laughed, drawing me closer. The three of us fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. Together, we were complete. "He really is perfect, isn't he"

"He looks just like you" I smiled, tracing a finger along Johnny's pouty lips.

"Really? I kinda think he looks like a monkey" Dean joked playfully.

"Bite your tongue" I gasped with mock indignation. "Our baby does not look like a monkey. Just look at him. He has your eyes, and your chin… He's gonna grow up and look just like his daddy. Which, considering how I look right now, is a good thing"

"What are you talking about?" he murmured, tucking a wayward curl behind my ear. "You look like a Goddess"

I felt like anything but.

My hair was a wild mess of curls that nothing could tame, after a failed attempt to pull them back with a hair band had failed, I gave up. Unable to stop the constant tears of happiness that snuck up on me when I least expected them, a result of hormones gone wild, my eyes were red and my cheeks were flushed. I hadn't washed since giving birth, and the sweat and grime of labour lingered across my flesh. And it didn't help that, wearing an oversized sundress that did nothing to flatter my generous curves and deflated belly, I felt like a frump.

But, looking down at my son, I realised that it did not matter.

I was a mother. A mommy.

It was the most exhilarating and heart-warming feeling I had ever experienced, and as long as my son was happy and safe, I couldn't care less what I looked like.

Besides, having a husband that worshiped the very ground I walked on made it all the more tolerable.

"So…" Dean said, looking out over the salvage yard as he contemplated our future. "What do we do now?"

The World was ours, and the possibilities were infinite. We could do anything. We could go anywhere.

But, there was only one thing we could do that would make our lives perfectly complete.

"Let's go home"


	79. Welcome Home

**A/N - Thank you for the reviews, and for your unwavering patience. I'm sorry that this took forever to come out, but I've finally started working on the novel I've been planning for the last year, and it's been keeping me busy (It's not about anything supernatural-ish, it's a poignant tearjerker based around horses… I adore horses, they're like a religion to me XD ). I've been researching, and plotting, and waking up at all hours of the night as ideas race through my head, so I struggled to find time to write this. But, out of gratitude to all of you, I put everything aside and quickly wrote this. It's not long, it's not special, but I hope it satiates you until I get out the next chapter. As always, please enjoy, and keep leaving your reviews coz they make me warm and fussy on the inside!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

* * *

The Hotel loomed before us, majestic and proud as the sun peaked over the horizon, spreading brilliant rays of daylight across the empty streets. The building that had been our home when the World came tumbling down, our fortress, our haven, was framed by a clear blue sky that seemed to stretch on forever.

It had been only three days since the end of the Infection, since the end of the sinister darkness that had haunted us, but already the World was burgeoning with a promise that thrummed through the morning songs of the birds that had come out to welcome the day. The colours streaking across the sky were full of glory, as though the World itself was smiling at what it had to offer.

And all I could think about was how this was ours now.

The hotel looked exactly as it had before we left on that fateful night, but at the same time, it was completely different. I recognised each white brick, some of which had been defaced with crude slogans when the Infection hit and the Law crumbled, and each length of blossoming ivy that traced their way up the face of the hotel, but everything seemed so new and magnificent. I had come to loathe this building in the later months of our stay here, and now, as I gazed at the building as we drew closer, I could not understand why.

This place was perfect. It was glorious, and remarkable, and full of so many beautiful memories.

But, most of all, it was home.

"I don't think I've ever been so happy to see this place" I said, smiling across at Dean as I cradled a fussing John in my arms, rocking him gently in an attempt to soothe him. He had been fed, and burped, and I had changed his diaper only a few minutes earlier, but I couldn't get him to settle. I had a feeling he was as anxious as we were to get home. We had been cooped up in the Impala for the last two days, and we were all a little restless.

"Sure is a sight for sore eyes" Dean sighed wearily, scratching his fingers across his unshaven jaw.

We inched down the street, slowly drawing closer to the imposing fence that had been constructed across the street, blocking the hotel from the attacks of the Infected. Several figures stepped out from the shadows, clutching large firearms in their hands that they pointed in out direction as we approached. I didn't recognise any of them, and it was unsettling to realise that we may be strangers in our own home.

What were we coming home to?

"They're not gonna shoot us" I laughed uneasily, hugging the baby closer to my chest as he whimpered softly. "Are they?"

"Only one way to find out" Dean said grimly, engaging the handbrake and looking up at the figures that had us in their sights.

"Be careful" I said softly as he leaned across the console to kiss me lightly on the lips, and brush his fingers across Johnny's chubby cheeks. At his touch, the baby fell quiet, quelled by the tender love of his daddy.

Dean pushed the driver's side door open and stepped outside.

"We come in peace" he called cheekily, and I couldn't help but smile. He was cocky, even in the face of danger.

"Who are you, mate, and what are you doing in our part of the city?" the largest figure bellowed, and I could hear the resonating 'click' as he cocked his gun.

"Well, _mate_… This happens to be my hotel" Dean replied, holding his hands up, showing that he had no weapons.

"And who, exactly, are you?"

There was a beat of silence.

"Dean?"

Now that voice, I recognised.

"Colonel?" Dean said, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

"You bet your sweet ass, Brother" the soulful voice of one Colonel Perry Salinger sounded.

I watched as a silhouetted figure, with the same telltale wild hair of the somewhat crazy man I had come to love like an Uncle, disappeared over the edge of the fence, and came barrelling through a door-sized gate. A broad grin was stretched across his weathered face as he strode towards Dean, pulling him in for an affectionate hug.

"Good to see you, man" Dean grinned, patting the ex-Soldier on the back.

"Likewise" Colonel said softly. He looked across to the Impala where I sat with Johnny, and I thought I could see tears gleaming in the depths of his eyes.

Carefully, I opened the door and stepped out into the pleasantly cool morning, hugging the baby, dressed in a pale yellow romper suit we had found in a gas station a few towns back, to my chest. My legs ached slightly from the trip, but I stood tall and proud, a mother bringing her child home.

"Well…" Colonel breathed, catching sight of the tiny child in my arms. "I'll be damned"

"Meet John" Dean said as I walked across to where they stood, slinging his arm around my waist and holding me tightly against him. "Meet my son"

"Where have you guys been?" Colonel asked, smiling down at our son. "You've been gone a long time, Brother"

"It's a Hell of a story" Dean laughed. "And I'd be happy to tell it to you, but it's been a long drive, and I'm…"

He stopped as a tall figure emerged from the doorway, dark brown hair hanging across his deep brown eyes.

Even with the shadows falling across his soft features, I would have recognised him anywhere.

"Sammy…" Dean murmured.

For a single, agonising moment, there was silence.

It had been such a long time…

Then, Sam's handsome face broke into a radiant smile that seemed to light up the day around us.

"Welcome home"


	80. Nothing Left To Fear

**A/N - Thank you to everyone who is reading and/or reviewing this story. Seriously, hearing your kind words makes me so happy that I started writing this all that time ago. I'm glad you're all along for the ride, and hope you keep following me as we see where these guys head next. It's gonna be fairly quiet for the next few chapters, but then we'll hit the stunning conclusion, and it'll be over… But, hopefully, I'll be able to get out the prequel fairly quickly so that I can stay in this World for as long as possible, coz I adore it so much!. I'm sorry that this one took so long to get out, life has once again gotten in my way. But, as short as it is, I hope you all enjoy it. The next chapter will jump ahead by a tiny bit, just so I can get things rolling on nicely. I'll try to have it out within the next few days if I can. So, please enjoy, and if you feel like leaving behind a review then please feel free to coz I really do love hearing what you all think. It's your words and encouragement that keep me going ****J**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

Any fears that Sam would resent us for what we had done, for the pain and heartache we put him through when we had left in the dark of Christmas night without so much as a goodbye, faded into blessed oblivion the instant he stepped forward to embrace Dean. The love between the brothers outweighed everything.

Watching them, knowing that they had both been through so much in such a short lifetime, I knew that there would be no hard feelings between them. What we had done was forgotten and forgiven with a simple hug.

In this brave new World, all that mattered was that we were home, and we were safe.

Everything else took a backseat.

"So" Sam said, looking across at where I stood with John nestled close to my heart, his eyes gleaming with unshed tears. "You're a dad"

"Never thought you'd see the day, eh?" Dean laughed, gazing proudly at his son. He had slipped so easily into the role of fatherhood that it seemed like he was born for it. There was no doubt that he was going to be a wonderful Daddy.

They had both wanted this life for the other. A life blessed with the love of a family.

And now they had it.

"He looks just like Dad" Sam said softly, taking a step closer and reaching out to take Johns tiny hand in his own. With a tender smile, he shook it gently in greeting.

"Wanna hold him?" I smiled, easing the baby into his arms before he could answer.

He cradled the baby easily in his arms, a smile lighting up his handsome features as John gazed up at him with unfocused eyes.

"He's got your eyes" Sam grinned at Dean.

"I only hope he doesn't inherit his fathers pigheadedness" I joked, looking across at Dean and poking my tongue out at him. In truth, I hoped John took after his Daddy in everyway possible. I hoped he would be as strong and as brave as Dean. A Hero, a Knight in Shimmering Armour. I hoped he would grow into a man that would lead future generations. A man who would change the World.

The smile that spread across Deans ruggedly handsome face, rough with the remnants of our long journey home, was enough to steal the breath from my lungs.

What had I done to deserve him? To deserve such a perfect son? I must have been a Saint In a former life to be blessed with the life I had now.

We stood together, a family reunited in a World that had changed so much, and it was truly a new beginning for us.

There was nothing we could not do.

Suddenly, a look of fear flickered across Sam's features as he glanced nervously at the shadows surrounding us. It took me a few moments to recognise it for what it was.

I smiled.

After all this time of being scared, after the endless months of terror and bloodshed and heartbreaking loss, it had taken only days to forget the gut-wrenching fear that dawn would bring. We had spent so long hiding from the horrors lurking in the daylight hours, so long fighting for our lives, haunted by the constant fear that some Infected freak would tear us limb from limb, yet it had taken only days to reclaim the daylight hours for our own.

The days belonged to us now. The World belonged to us. We had nothing left to fear.

The dreaded reign of the Apocalypse was over, and a future full of hope stretched out before us.

"We should head inside" Sam said, his voice low and thick with worry as he passed John to Dean and slipped a pistol from the holster slung around his hips. He didn't know what had happened. None of them had realised that the World was different now. "It's not safe to be out…"

"Calm down, Sammy" Dean laughed, holding his son with an effortless ease. He pressed his lips to John's downy soft hair, and I could have sworn the baby gave his very first smile. Or, it was gas. "It's over"

There was a beat of silence as a look of confusion passed across the faces of Sam and Colonel. They didn't know, and I couldn't wait to tell them.

"What's over?" Sam frowned.

"Everything" I smiled, slipping my arms around Deans waist and pressing myself close to him and our son. I couldn't remember ever being as happy as I was at that moment. "We don't have to hide anymore. We've won, Sam"

"Won what? I don't…" He looked down the street, the light and shadows playing across the city thick with a peaceful silence. Something flickered in his eyes, and I knew he was beginning to understand.

"Everything we've ever faced, Sammy" Dean said gently. "Every son of a bitch freak we've ever come up against. The Infection… It's all gone"

"You're not making much sense here, Brother" Colonel said, his brow furrowed.

"How?" Sam breathed incredulously. "Everything?"

"Everything" I replied. "The World belongs to us"

"Sweet Jesus" Colonel murmured, finally understanding. "You mean to say…"

"We mean to say" Dean laughed.

"You mind sharing how the Hell that happened?" Colonel said, but there was no malice in his voice, only a stunned wonderment at what our words meant. "Y'all steal away like bandits in the middle of the night, and somehow save the Goddamn World… And pop out a little nipper to boot"

"It's a long story" I said, tracing my fingers across Johns tiny toes. He looked up at me, and let out what sounded like a contented sigh.

We were home.

"It's a good story"

And we were about to start our Happily Ever After.


	81. This Was What Happiness Felt Like

**A/N - This one came out sooner than planned… I've been inspired, I guess ****J**** Anyway, I won't ramble on like I usually do. All I'll say is, please enjoy! (Sorry if you got alerted to this a billion times, freaking thing wouldn't format properly!)**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

After everything I had faced in the World, after all the horror and bloodshed, this should have been the easiest thing I had ever come up against. This should have been a piece of cake, a walk in the park.

But I couldn't help the fear that thrummed along my skin, vibrating in the back of my teeth and kicking the steady throb of my heart up a notch.

I was scared.

"Please, God" I whispered. "I'll never ask for anything else as long as I live, just please, please… Give me this one thing, please…"

I took a long breath, closed my eyes, and prayed.

"Please-oh-please-oh-please…" I chanted as I gripped the silver zipper of my cut-off shorts, glinting playfully in the golden glow of the morning. "Please-oh-please…" With a trepidation that made my lips tremble, I tugged the clasp north, steadily closing the little metal teeth as the zipper complied with my prayers, and zipped.

And just like that, I was wearing clothes I had not been able to wear since the early days of my pregnancy. My body, which had swelled and expanded as life grew inside my depths until I could barely recognise myself, was changing. As the days passed, turning into weeks, I could feel the weight melting off me until I started to feel like my old self once more.

"Booyah" I called triumphantly, brushing my hands over the worn material that hugged my slender, but still curvy, figure. I loved my child, there was no doubt about that, but the pregnancy had made me feel somewhat disembodied, like I was losing myself the bigger I got. And now that the stale weight had shifted, and I was able to wear my old clothes again, I felt wonderful.

"What are you so happy about?" Dean grinned, emerging from the en suite bathroom with a freshly bathed John snuggled contentedly in his arms.

Our son, who had grown so much in the weeks we had been home, smiled at me with his adorably gummy smile.

I blew him a kiss, laughing as he kicked his legs excitedly.

"Well, look at you…" Dean murmured admiringly, looking at my near-naked body with an expression of unadulterated lust. I knew exactly what he was thinking, exactly what he wanted, and after weeks of feeling unattractive and unable to please him the way he deserved, I knew I was finally ready.

"Six weeks later, and I'm back to my old size " I grinned, slipping into a form-fitting yellow t-shirt with Snoopy emblazoned across the chest. It was distorted slightly by the swell of my bust, and I sighed. The milk had come in hard and fast, and showed no sign of letting up anytime soon. "My boobs are still too big, though"

"Yeah…" Dean said with a crooked smile, his emerald eyes glinting as they travelled the length of my body. "Yeah, that's a real shame…"

"Keep it in your pants, Cowboy" I laughed, pinning my fiery red curls back with an ornate clip and walking around the bed to where my husband stood with our son.

I looked at them, the two most important men in my life, and felt so completely complete that it was almost ridiculous.

Only weeks into this wonderfully new World, ours and whole once more, things had changed so much that I barely remembered our old life. We no lingered lived in fear. We no longer hid in the dank darkness of shadows. We were no longer held captive by the Apocalypse.

We could live. We could enjoy life like we never had before.

We had pulled the boards from the windows and propped the front doors open, letting the glorious light of day stream into the hotel lobby. We could come and go as we pleased, stepping out onto the streets without fear. The children played in the gardens for hours on end, coming inside, with flushed cheeks and weary smiles, only when it was time for dinner.

Some people had left the hotel, making the long pilgrimage back to their homes to try and pick up their lives from where it had been so cruelly taken from them. We didn't try to stop them. It was their choice, and with a World now filled with endless possibilities, we had no right to tell them what to do. We gave them the supplies they needed, wished them good luck, and let them know that they were always welcome back if they ever wanted to return.

Even though we knew none of them ever would.

"Hey, little guy" I cooed to my son, leaning in to blow a raspberry kiss against his pudgy belly so that he squealed with delight. He smelled of lavender soap and baby powder.

He was perfect.

The day that we had returned, welcomed home with open arms, everyone had instantly fallen head over heels in love with him. Birdie especially. She loved him like a little brother, singing lullabies to him and telling him fairytales she remembered from when her own mother had read to her. She was always offering to baby sit him if I ever wanted a night off. But, no matter how tired I was, I hadn't been able to find the strength to let him out of my sight for too long. I had fought so hard for him, struggled for so long to be a mother that it hurt to even think about being away from him. He was my heart, my blood, my soul. He and I were one.

He was a happy baby who had given both Dean and I so much joy in the short time he had been with us. He rarely cried, sleeping soundly most nights. He fed every few hours, and just like his Daddy, he had a big appetite. He was going to grow up to be a big, strong boy.

And he was looking more and more like Dean with every day that passed us by. He had already developed his own personality, and was every inch his father's son. They were so alike.

My boys.

We dressed John in a tiny pair of black corduroy pants, and a white top with the words 'Mommy's Little Angel' written in rainbow coloured bubble letters across the front. I slipped a pair of soft black booties onto his tiny feet, and together, as a family, we made our way downstairs.

It was like walking into another World.

The lobby was illuminated by the early morning light, giving life to the countless bouquets of fresh flowers that filled every nook and cranny. The landscapes and family portrait I had painted all those months ago now adorned the walls, glowing magnificently with the daylight that filtered inside.

Several children, orphans of the Apocalypse that had been adopted by those who had lost their own children but still had so much love to give, ran past us on their way outside, their peals of laughter ringing through the lobby like bells.

"Morning" Libby called as we walked by, her happy and healthy son, named Caleb after the father who would never know his own child, propped on the crook of her hip. She was talking with Elena and her husband Miguel, who had discovered only a few weeks earlier that they would have a baby of their own.

Our lives were changing so fast, and we welcomed each twist and turn eagerly.

I waved to them as we stepped outside, where much of our ragtag family had gathered for breakfast.

The feeling of the sunlight, warm and inviting, on my face was incredible. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, letting the gentle morning breeze fill my lungs until it felt like I would float away.

This was what happiness felt like.

"Good morning" a deep, melodious voice greeted.

I opened my eyes and watched as Castiel, as perfect and as handsome as ever, walked towards us, his Angelic features lit up with a smile that almost stilled my heart. Gone was the crisp attire he had donned during the End of the World. Now, seemingly more human than Angel, he looked at home in jeans and a light shirt, his feet bare against the lush grass, slick with morning dew.

"Morning, Uncle Cass" I grinned, gently placing my child in the Angels arms. John gazed up at the man who was, without a doubt, his family, smiling so that his chubby cheeks dimpled.

"He's getting big" Cass laughed, brushing his lips against the baby's forehead.

"He takes after his Daddy, that's why" Dean said proudly, slipping his arm around my waist. He played with the hem of my top, lifting it slightly to brush his fingers lightly across my hip, sending a shiver up my spine.

There was no denying what he was thinking about.

It had been an awfully long time.

And maybe tonight would be the night…

"Where is that beautiful child?" Ruth, in all her maternal glory, called joyously as she weaved her way through the crowd that had gathered for the morning meal. She walked right up to Cass and pressed her full, soft lips to John's cheeks. "Oh, my boy…" she breathed, stroking her fingers through his golden bronze hair that had started to curl softly and the ends. He truly had inherited my hair, the poor boy. "You look more handsome every time I see you" She turned to smile at me and Dean. "He's going to break some hearts when he gets older"

"As long as he doesn't take after his Daddy" I teased Dean, curling myself into his embrace.

Laughing, Dean pressed a kiss to my lips.

I watched Ruth and Cass fussing over the child that had been born from my own heart, and felt myself swell with pride. I was amazed every day at my good fortune. I was amazed that I was married to the man of my dreams, made for only me, and mother to the most beautiful son anyone could ever wish for.

And I knew that God had played His hand in seeing that I was blessed with this perfect life. It was my reward for all the heartache I had been burdened with. He had righted the wrongs put upon me, and I knew I would never be able to thank Him enough.

With one last kiss, Ruth left us to lend a hand with the arduous task of making enough food to feed the many, many mouths of our family. There was over sixty of us now, whole and healthy. And with another eight babies due before the end of the year, that number would continue to grow.

We could never fully rebuild society, but we would leave our mark. We would pave the way for future generations. For our children, and for their children.

We would give them the chance to thrive long after we were gone.

We found an empty table at the edge of the garden and sat down, falling into an easy conversation about nothing and everything at the same time.

Sam, Addie and Delia found us just as breakfast was served; fresh bread slathered with homemade jam, sweet and juicy fruit picked from our thriving crops, porridge sweetened with honey. There was no stale food anymore. We had surrounded ourselves with invaluable resources and ate only the freshest of food.

"You look good" Addie said as she sat down beside me, her sleek mahogany locks falling loose about her tanned shoulders.

"No more baby weight" I grinned, John sitting happily in my lap, playing with the small white flower Cass had picked for him. He was enthralled with the texture of it, the way it felt in his tiny fingers. "Except for the boobs"

"It'll take months to get rid of those" she laughed, tousling the curls at the nape of Johnny's neck.

"Awesome" Dean smiled dreamily.

With Delia, so big and so beautiful, standing in his lap, dancing to music that only she could hear, Sam shook his head, looking at his brother with mock disgust.

"You're an animal" he joked, peeking around his daughter, who was giggling happily.

"Da… Da…" she gurgled, smiling broadly to reveal a healthy set of teeth.

"Dee, say mamma" Addie coaxed, reaching out to smooth a crease from the white dress her daughter wore. "Muh-mah"

"Dadadada" Delia sang, holding her Daddy's fingers tightly.

"Muh-mah"

"Dadada…"

It was her very first word, and it seemed to be the only one she would speak, much to the consternation of her adoring mother.

I wondered what Johns first word would be.

If Dean had his way, it would be 'Zeppelin rules!'.

"Anyway" Addie sighed, pouring a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and taking a sip. "We have some news"

"Are you pregnant?" I blurted.

"No" she laughed. "Maybe soon, though. There doesn't seem to be any point to waiting these days"

"We'll be working on number two soon" Dean said, brushing his fingers through my hair.

I looked across at him, smiling happily. We had already decided that we would have another baby as soon as we could. As Addie said, there was no point waiting.

"We've actually decided…" Sam stared, reaching out to take Addie's hand in his. They looked at each other with such love and devotion I could have sworn it gave me a toothache.

"What?" I whined, eager to hear their news. Though, I had a feeling I knew what it would be.

They turned to look at us, beaming.

"We're getting married"


	82. Two Halves Of One Whole

**A/N - Thank you for reading and reviewing, my ever loving fans. It's so awesome to hear from you, and know that you're enjoying this story as much as I am. I hope you enjoy the latest update, full of fluffy goodness, and know that I'm working hard on the next one!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

They were married that evening, as day and night collided to ignite the dusky grey sky with colours so beautiful that it seemed as though we were living in our very own Eden. The warmth of Spring lingered in the gentle breeze playing through the trees, carrying the soft scent of the roses, and pansies, and lilies, and violets that filled the gardens around us.

It was a simple ceremony, given that we had only a few hours to arrange everything. But, despite limited supplies, it was enchanting and intimate.

It was perfect.

Standing by the ivy covered iron arch at the entrance to the gardens, dressed in a lavender sundress that hugged my soft curves, I looked across to where Sam stood, with Dean, Bobby, and Castiel at his side. He looked nervous, restlessly shifting his weight from foot to foot as we waited for the bride to appear.

He was so handsome. All four of them were.

But even with the unease glinting in his soulful eyes, I could tell that he was happier than he had ever been. I could see just how much he had been waiting for this day.

"He looks like he's gonna vomit" Birdie whispered beside me, dressed in a similar dress to my own. Orla stood on her other side, her own dress contrasting exotically with her mocha complexion. With dresses that didn't match, we made a motley line of bridesmaids. "I hope he doesn't vomit"

"He won't" I laughed, reaching out to brush a whispery curl from her elfin face. She looked so different from the night we found her, finally whole after many months of healing.

"Why is he so scared?" she asked, lifting her bouquet of daisies to breathe deep the sweet scent.

"He ain't scared" Orla said, smoothing her dress over the curve of her baby bump. She and Callum would welcome their own child during the Fall. "He's just so happy that it's messing him up a little"

I looked across at Sam and grinned. The poor boy looked like he was about to wet his pants.

"I hope Zeek doesn't get scared when we get married" Birdie smiled, swaying her hips to feel the way the dress moved against her pale thighs.

"When you what?" I exclaimed, a little too loudly so that everyone looked at me with raised eyebrows. I knew that they had fallen in love while I was gone, but they were still so young… How could they even be thinking about something so grown up when they still had so much growing up to do? "Birdie, what do you…"

"Shhh" she hushed me, her eyes twinkling in the fading light. "It's starting"

Turning, I saw Addie, chaperoned by a dishy looking Zeek, and felt my breath catch in my chest and my heart falter.

There weren't enough words in the human language to describe just how beautiful she looked.

She was an Angel.

A Goddess.

Wearing a modest, but stunningly elegant dress that hugged her slender torso and flowed into a lustrous skirt that floated around her ankles, and with her hair cascading down her bare shoulders in sleek mahogany curls, she was exquisite.

I glanced quickly across at Sam. He had fallen still.

As a gentle melody of violins swelled, playing through the speakers of a battery-run CD player, Addie and Zeek started down the aisle.

Her stunning features glowing with love and devotion, she did not take her eyes off of Sam, and did not take his from her.

They were meant to be together.

They were made for each other.

As she reached the end of the aisle, where Father Michael stood with a warm smile gracing his weathered features, they both reached out in the same moment to lace their fingers together.

Two halves of one whole.

"We are gathered here tonight" Father Michael started, his voice clear and rich as the music faded. "To witness the coming together of Samuel and Addison, whose hearts and spirits are entwined as one. They now desire to profess before all of us their intention to walk the road of life together from this moment forth"

Everyone was silent, only the hum of the approaching night sounded through the dusky darkness.

Illuminated by the light of a hundred tea candles spread around the gardens, Sam and Addie turned to face each other, both wearing expressions of pure happiness.

Clearing his throat, Sam spoke first.

"There was darkness in my life for a long time, and then there was light. That light was you, Addie" His voice wavered slightly with emotion, and I could see the twinkle of a tear in the corner of his eye. "I pledge before our family to be your husband from this day forward, to make our two lives one. I want you for today, for tomorrow, and forever"

I looked across at Dean, my own soul mate, and smiled at the raw emotion burning in his emerald eyes. This was the life he had longed for Sam to have, and now here it was.

He caught me looking, and flashed me his Hollywood smile, the very one he had greeted me with on that fateful first day all those months ago. He was so handsome, that for what felt like a lifetime, my heart stopped.

He mouthed the words 'I love you', and winked.

Poking my tongue out at him, I mouthed the words back, loving him so much that it was like a light waiting to burst from my chest.

"Sam" Addie started, her voice thick with unshed tears. "I have dreamed my whole life of having someone as wonderful as you to love me the way you do. You are the other half of my heart, and my soul. I give myself to you as your wife, and I promise to love you until the end of all time"

I felt my own wave of tears building up inside me, and fought to hold them back.

"Rings?" Father Michael asked, looking across at Dean.

A flash of panic crossed his face as he anxiously patted the pocket of his shirt, looking as though he was afraid he had lost them.

And for a brief moment, he had us all fooled.

Then, with a cheeky grin, he slipped the gold wedding bands, found in a decrepit jewellery store on the main street, from the front pocket of his jeans and handed them to Father Michael.

"Jerk" Sam quipped, though there was nothing but brotherly affection in his voice.

"Bitch" Dean countered playfully.

Laughing, Father Michael handed a ring each to Sam and Addie, and with steady hands, they each slipped the ring onto the finger of the other.

"Do you Samuel, knowing this woman's love for you and returning it, realizing her strengths and learning from them, recognizing her weaknesses and helping her to overcome them, take Addison to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do" he replied, his voice steady as he gazed lovingly at the woman who had seen him through the darkness of the Apocalypse, who had given him a beautiful daughter, and who would love him for an eternity.

"And do you Addison, knowing this man's love for you and returning it, realizing his strengths and learning from them, recognizing his weaknesses and helping him to overcome them, take Samuel to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do" she smiled, tears glistening on her cheeks.

"You were born to be together, and together you shall be forevermore" Father Michael finished, as a dozen or more people dabbed at their eyes with handfuls of tissues. "And in front of those who love you, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss…"

And as those gathered around them cheered heartily for the life of love and happiness that they would share together, they did.


	83. The Perfect End To A Perfect Day

**Thank you everyone for the reviews and reads! I adore you all! So, another filler, but the grand finale is just around the corner… I don't think I'll make it to 100 like I thought, but I'll try to draw it out as long as I can XD Anyway, please enjoy, and keep reviewing coz I love hearing from you all!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

The jubilant merriments lasted well into the night, and not even the late hour could entice people away from the joy of the night. Long after the air had grown cold with an icy chill that reached deep inside our bones, and the burnt out candles had to be replaced, we celebrated love, and life, and the future that was stretched out endlessly before us.

Wine flowed and lilting melodies filled the darkness. People danced, alone or with a loved one, drunk with happiness and the warmth of the wine that had settled in their bellies. We ate until we could not stand to consume another bite, and laughed at the jokes and toasts given on behalf of the exultant newlyweds. The agony of the last year was seemingly forgotten as we let our hair down and partied long into the night.

The day was truly perfect.

Lounging in a comfortable chaise, with John swathed in a blue plaid bunny rug and sleeping peacefully against the warmth of my chest, I watched Sam and Addie as they stood wrapped in each other's arms, swaying slowly in time with the tearjerker ballad that filtered through the night.

With arms and hearts entwined, it was easy to see why they belonged together. I could not imagine two people more deserving of the love and happiness that they shared. I only hoped that they would be as happy as Dean and I were, and that, like us, they would be together for ever.

"You think it should be our turn next?" Dean asked from where he sat beside me, one hand resting on the back of my chair, his fingers brushing gently through my curls, the other nursing a glass of whiskey that had been refilled several times already.

"Next at what?" I asked, looking across at him. There was a charming glint in his emerald green eyes that made his slight intoxication obvious. He was enjoying himself, and even though I was a little jealous that I couldn't because I was still breast feeding, I was pleased that he still could after everything that we had been through.

"At this whole…" He gestured his glass at the crowd before us. "Wedding thing"

"Why?" I frowned with a soft laugh, being careful not to wake the sleeping baby in my arms. "What's wrong with what we already have?"

"Well, it's just a piece of paper. We didn't have a ceremony or anything" he shrugged. "I thought that maybe you'd like something a little more… Real"

"Baby" I said softly, carefully shifting John so that I could reach a hand out to brush my fingers against Dean's raspy cheek. "What we have _is_ real. Everything we promised each other that night does not mean any less just because we didn't have a fancy ceremony with a priest and flowers and elevator music" I smiled warmly at him, tracing a finger down the length of his perfect nose. "I married you that night, Mr Winchester, and as far as I'm concerned, you're stuck with me for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as we both shall live. You got that, Cowboy?"

"Yeah" he grinned, lighting up his criminally handsome features. "I got it"

I felt his fingers brush against the tender flesh of my neck, and closed my eyes to the pleasant shiver that worked its tantalising way us my spine, spreading a ripple of goosebumps across my arms and legs.

It had been a long, _long_ time since we'd been intimate in any way, and I knew in that moment that tonight would, without a doubt, be the night that we got back in the saddle, so to speak. My own insecurities about what the pregnancy had done to my body, and the gut-wrenching fear of letting John out of my sight had prevented me from loving Dean the way he wanted, but I knew that tonight would be different.

Almost as though she could read my mind, proving just again how maternal she was, Ruth wandered over to where we sat, arm-in-arm with Father Michael. With the broad smiles that all but dominated their faces, it was easy to see that they were in love. It was heartening to know that people could still find such pure bliss even through the darkest of times.

"How's my handsome man" Ruth cooed, reaching out to brush her fingers over Johnny's tiny hand poking out from the blanket. He mewled softly, but didn't wake.

"I'm doing just fine, Ruthie" Dean joked with a crooked smile.

"I'll bet you are" she laughed, snuggling closer to a content looking Father Michael. "Anyway, we've come over to tell you that we're taking Delia for the night, and want to know if you'd like us to look after Johnny, too. Maybe give the two of you the night off for a little… special alone time" She smiled knowingly at us, and I wondered if she had children of her own, before the end of the World at least. She had never talked much about her life before the Apocalypse, and it made my heart ache to think that she might have lost her babies just as I had feared I would lose my own. And it made me love her all the more for her selfless offer.

Even though I could feel a cold shiver of dread inching up my spine at the thought of being away from John for so long. I knew I had to do this. He would be perfectly safe with Ruth and Father Michael, and Dean and I could have the night to ourselves like we deserved. Besides, he would not be far away, and I could go to him the instant I started to miss him more than I could bear.

But it would be so hard to say goodbye.

Dean glanced across at me with a look of sympathy etched across his rugged features. He knew exactly how I was feeling, because he felt it too. John was our life, and after the heartbreaking battle to see him born, it was difficult to be away from him for any longer than we needed.

I gazed down at my son, smiling at his peaceful expression as he slept. I loved him so much, but I needed to do this.

"He'll sleep through most of the night" I started, leaning forward to pass my child gently to the woman who had been like a mother to all of us for so long. There was a brief pang of fear in my heart as I watched him nestle sleepily in her arms, but I pushed it aside. "But if he does wake up, and won't feed, sing an AC/DC song and he should settle pretty easily"

"AC/DC?" Father Michael questioned with a hearty laugh.

"_Back in Black_ is his favourite" Dean grinned proudly. Our son had definitely inherited his father's intense love of classic rock music.

"I think we can handle that" Ruth smiled, pressing her lips to John's hair. He whimpered, and I thought for a moment he would wake with an ear-piercing cry. But, he gave a soft sigh, and settled. "Will you be alright?" she asked me. I knew then that she had been a mother before all of this, and that she had lost her children to the ferocity of the Apocalypse.

"I will" I said softly, because I knew that it was true. If she could survive the devastating heartache of losing her own children, I could survive one night without John. I looked across at Dean and smiled. "We will"

I eased myself from the chair, and kissed my baby goodbye before watching them walk away.

"It won't be for long" Dean murmured, wrapping his arms around me. "We'll see him in the morning"

"I know" I sighed, watching Ruth and Father Michael until they disappeared into the crowd. Turning in his arms, I pressed my hands to his chest and gazed up at him even as I fought back a wave of tears. "Now do that thing you do so well to take my mind off of it"

"With pleasure" he grinned, leaning in to kiss me with an immoral desire that set my heart racing. The hunger that lingered in his touch, reaching to the very tips of my toes, promised a night ahead that I would not soon forget.

"Mine, I hope" I smiled, feeling a white hot fever burning through me. I wanted him. I needed him. I wanted to feel the way our bodies connected, coming together as though made for each other.

"More times than you can count, Princess" he whispered huskily, taking my hand in his.

Together, we slipped away unnoticed from the celebrations, and made our way upstairs to our Honeymoon suite. It felt empty without our son, and I almost succumbed to the sadness. I almost ran back outside to take John away from Ruth, to have him close to me again.

But, true to his word, Dean kissed away my misery, and used every inch of his perfect body to bring me to forgotten heights of pleasure again and again and again.

And after, arms and legs tangled together as we recovered from loving so good that I would be aching in the morning, I knew that this was the perfect end to a perfect day.

But a part of me was scared that it wouldn't last.

Not forever.

And unfortunately, that fear would soon prove to be true.


	84. The End Was Only Just Beginning

**A/N - Thank you for reading and reviewing, lovely fans! Sorry that this one took so long to come out, I suffered a slight bout of writers block followed by a complete lack of time. Luckily, I pushed through the weariness and wrote this new chapter, which is, essentially, the beginning of the end. There's not that much more to go, now, so it's a little sad to write. Forgive me if I take my time… Anyway, please enjoy, and keep on leaving behind your encouraging words because I love hearing from you!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

The sun was hanging high in the endless expanse of clear blue sky, spreading a brilliant light across the city and giving life to the slinky shadows that flitted lazily between the buildings. A gentle breeze, sweet with the scent of blooming flowers, played pleasantly across my bare arms, lifting the soft curls from my pale shoulders as I walked barefoot across the luscious grass of the gardens. The grass was warm and inviting between my toes, reminding me of days from long before this one. Days when the World was whole, and my friends and family were alive.

But despite the bittersweet memories of a time that would never again exist, the day was stunningly beautiful.

There was no way we could have known the horrors that it would bring before nightfall. There was no way we could have known that this would be the last day for so many of us.

I came to a stop beside the newly functional water fountain, and closed my eyes as I lifted my face to the breeze lilting through the nearby trees. It felt wonderful and cool against my cheeks, full of vigour and promise. I pushed my fingers through the scarlet curls spilling wildly down my back, wondering if there had been a moment more absolute and breathtaking than this.

And there was one thing that made it all the more perfect. One tiny, little thing that made this one day more miraculous than any before it.

I had known for exactly six minutes, my little spark of news, and it was a struggle to keep from bursting with the joy fluttering through my body.

I suddenly felt like spreading my arms wide and twirling around and around like Julie Andrews in _The Sound of Music_.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it" came Castiel's deep and melodious voice, rousing me from my thoughts.

Smiling, I looked across at him as he walked towards me, he hands casually tucked into the pockets of his jeans. With an easy smile stretched across his achingly handsome features, he looked awesomely ethereal and impossibly human in the same instant.

"It's glorious" I sighed happily, falling into step beside him as we made our way across the garden. "I don't think there has ever been a day more magnificent than this" I said, slipping my arm through his and leaning against his shoulder. He was warm and solid against me. My rock.

"There's something different about you" the Angel said, gazing down at me with a whimsical expression. I never could hide anything from him. He knew me as well as I knew myself. Maybe better.

"There is something different about me" I laughed, but didn't clarify. I had a secret. A wonderful secret. And as much as I wanted to tell him, there was someone else I had to tell first. Someone who deserved to hear my fantastic news before anyone else.

"Is it good?" he frowned.

"It is" I smiled. "But I need to see Dean…"

"I understand" he laughed, looking across to where my husband had his head buried beneath the hood of the Impala. "Will he be happy?"

"I hope so" But I knew he would. This was what we wanted. This was what we had talked about for weeks. There was no way he couldn't be ecstatically happy about what I had to tell him.

"Well, then, I'll leave you to it" he said, leaning in to press a kiss to my cheek. Gently brushing his fingers through my hair, he walked away, whistling softly to himself.

Watching him, I wondered briefly what his purpose in life was now, other than being a very much-loved member of my family. Lucifer was gone, and my son was safe… What was there left for him to do?

Could he live a normal, human life now? Could he fall in love and have a family?

Did he even want to?

I hoped he did. After everything that had happened to us all over the last year, he deserved to be as happy as I was.

Everyone deserved to be as happy as I was.

Humming the theme tune to a long forgotten television show, I all but skipped over to where Dean was working on his beloved car. I took a moment to admire that muscles that rippled down the length of his arm, impure thoughts racing manically through my mind.

"Morning, Princess" Bobby greeted as I drew near, seated nearby in his wheelchair, gently bouncing a delighted Johnny on his lap.

An adorably gummy smile lit up my sons face when he saw me, and my heart stumbled over itself, clumsy with complete and utter adoration of this little human being who was the light of my life. The word 'love' did not even come close to how I felt about him. There were no words in the history of language that could even begin to describe how infatuated I was with this little boy who I had nurtured beneath my heart for nine months.

"Morning, Bobby" I grinned, pressing a soft kiss to the rugged rasp of his greying beard. "How's the little man treating you?" I blew a raspberry against Johnny's pudgy cheek, almost melting when I felt him press his tiny hands to either side of my face, staring wondrously at me with eyes so much like his daddy's.

"I've been telling him all about the adventures me and his Pappy got up to back in our day" Bobby said, as Johnny let out a peal of laughter, clapping his hands together with the adorable uncoordination of an infant. "He'd be a fine hunter himself… If there was anything to hunt"

"Don't get her started" Dean laughed, drawing his attention away from the Impala's engine and wiping his hands on an oil-stained rag. "She won't even let me teach him how to shoot when he gets old enough"

"There's nothing left to shoot, Dean" I smiled, welcoming the soft kiss he pressed to my lips.

"Don't mean he can't learn" There was a smudge of grease across his forehead that made him look all the more ruggedly handsome.

"Well, meaningless violence aside" I said, wrapping my arms loosely around his waist and pressing my bodies against his until we fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. "There's something I need to tell you"

"You didn't catch Sam and Addie going at it again, did you?" he grimaced. "Seriously, they've been hitched for, like, a month. You'd think they'd be over the whole consummating deal by now"

"No" I laughed, breathing in the musky scent of him. It was dizzying. "They've managed to keep their celebrations behind closed doors"

"Good" he said with a crooked smile, looking down at me. His emerald eyes twinkled alluringly in the daylight. "What's the news, then?"

"I'm pregnant" I murmured happily, loving the way the words sounded on my lips. The last time I had said these words, they had held an entirely different meaning. There had been a fear behind them, an ice-cold thrill of terror that had taken away all the joy from the words. But now, these two words held a promise that no other words could ever hope to.

"Are you sure?" he breathed, his entire body going still.

"I peed on the stick and the stick turned blue. You've officially knocked me up for the second time, Cowboy" I said, smiling so wide that it felt like my cheeks would split open.

Letting out a whoop of happiness, Dean lifted me into his arms and spun me around. Setting me down, he took my face in his hands and kissed me with an unbridled passion that sent a fiery flush down to the deepest depths of my belly, where our son or daughter was nestled.

"Get a room" Bobby quipped gruffly, but there was only a cheerful joy in his voice.

"You hear that, Johnny" Dean said to his son, who was gurgling happily, completely oblivious to what was happening around him. "You're gonna be a big brother…"

And that was when a bloodcurdling scream pierced the blissful atmosphere, shattering the absolute perfection of the day.

The end was only just beginning.


	85. They Were Here

A/N - Thank you for the reviews. I'm a little scared that everyone seems unimpressed with where the story's going, but I'm gonna soldier on coz this has been planned since I started writing. It was always going to have this ending, no matter what, so I hope you'll all bear with me. And fear not, Cass will stay and Angel, I can assure you that. I wouldn't have him any other way. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, there's not much to go. The next chapter will probably be epic, so it may take a little while to update. Thank you for taking this journey with me, and I hope you stay by my side until the end.

Blessed Be XOXOXOX

The scream seemed to echo for an eternity, polluting the peaceful calm that had swept across our city. It pierced the careless shadows that played through the buildings, riding the gentle breeze that had suddenly turned harsh and sour.

It had taken only one scream to ruin this perfect day, and for a moment, I forgot all about the happiness that I had been immersed in only moments earlier.

"Who…" I breathed, pressing a trembling hand to my chest as I turned in a full circle, scanning the gardens for the source of the scream that had plunged the perfect day into chaos. "Dean, who is it?" My head throbbed from the viciousness of the scream.

"I don't know" he replied, his voice thick with alarm. He slipped his hand into mine, and I was troubled by the way he trembled.

In a heartbeat, we had been plunged back into the deep, dark depths of fear that we had long ago left behind. It couldn't be happening again.

It just couldn't.

I saw her then, curled in a foetal position amongst the thriving produce of the vegetable garden. She was screaming, her body bucking wildly as though being assaulted by an electrical current. She looked possessed, and my first thought was demon.

But it couldn't be…

A crowd had gathered around her, looking frightened as they gazed down at the elfin child twisting and bucking and screaming as her body was tortured by an unseen force.

"Birdie" I whispered, my heart clenching painfully in my chest. I turned to Bobby, a thrill of pure dread snaking up my spine and vibrating in the back of my teeth. Terror pulsed furiously through me. It was only a scream, but there was something dark and portentous hidden in the macabre melody of it.

A part of me knew that this was the end.

Everything we had worked so hard for seemed to have been a waste of time.

My son, our family, our happiness…

It was over.

"I got him" Bobby assured me, hugging Johnny protectively to his chest. He slipped a sleek silver revolver from the back of his wheel chair, and I didn't know if I was pleased or frightened to see it.

We had moved on from this. It was meant to be over.

Why couldn't we live happily ever after?

Dean and I sprinted across the Eden-like lawns, pushing through the people milling around Birdie in our desperation to get to her. She lay convulsing in the dirt, her fists clenched so tightly that blood leaked from her grasp. She looked so fragile.

"You gotta help her" Zeek pleaded as I fell to my knee beside them, his face white with fear. It was hard to hear him over the resonance of her screaming.

"What happened?" Dean asked.

"I don't know" he sobbed, reaching out to try and take her hands in his. But the spasms that tore through her body made it near impossible to touch her. "She was harvesting the corn, telling me a dirty joke, then she just started screaming. Please, you've gotta do something"

Grimacing, Dean reached out and pulled the willowy girl roughly into his embrace, holding her tight as he tried to still her. She convulsed manically in his arms, her teeth grinding together.

"Birdie!" I called, pressing my hands to her face and trying to force her to look at me. Her eyes were wild, unfocused. "Birdie! Can you hear me?"

Suddenly, she went limp, her eyes fluttering open. She looked at me with frightened, but I didn't know if she could see me. It was like she was there, but at the same time, she wasn't.

"Birdie, honey" I said gently. "What's wrong?"

When she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper, and there was something in the way she sounded the words that chilled me to the bone.

"They're coming" she whimpered, her glassy eyes finding mine. There was only a hint of herself glowing in their depths. "Oh, Lu… Can you hear the bells? Can you hear them?"

"Who's coming?" I brushed a lock of golden blonde hair from her eyes as her head lolled from side to side. I hadn't seen her like this since the night we found her. What had she seen that had regressed her to the days when she had been lost in the crazy fog of a troubled mind? "Birdie, who…"

"The bad men, the hollow men, count them in, one to ten" she said with a sharp peal of laughter that sounded innocent and hysterical all at once. "All the King's horses and all the King's men, before the bells chime we'll all be in Hell once again…"

"What's she going on about?" Dean frowned, his rugged features darkened with a troubled expression.

Life had been so perfect. Why did it have to change now?

"Sweetie" I said to the girl who was, without a doubt, a little sister to me. "What did you see?"

A single tear, glistening like a jewel in the light of the day, traced down her cheek, cutting a striking path through the dirt on her face. Her lips trembled, and a glint of apology flashed through her sad eyes.

"They're gonna kill us all" she whispered, and then her eyes rolled back in her head as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Around us, people had fallen silent, struggling to comprehend the magnitude of Birdie's words. We had thought the fight was over. We had won the battle of Good and Evil, and our reward was an eternal life of peaceful happiness.

How could that change in one single instant?

Deans face had turned to stone, his brow furrowed.

"What do we do?" I asked desperately. Someone was coming. It couldn't be a demon, or a force of Darkness, because they were nothing but fairytales now.

That meant only one thing…

Who ever was coming, who ever wanted to hurt us…

They were human.

"We leave" Dean said simply, as though choosing what cereal to have for breakfast. "Get everyone to pack only what we need, food, weapons… We're leaving today" His voice was strong and commanding. He was the leader of the pack, the White Knight guiding us towards safety. Towards hope. "We're leaving now"

The blare of a horn, loud and gaudy as it blasted the General Lee's signature war cry, roared ominously through the city. It echoed through the shadows like a cruel whisper, taunting us. Teasing us.

This was it.

They were here.

They were human.


	86. The Final Battle Had Begun

**A/N - Well, that didn't take as long as I expected, and it wasn't as epic as I thought it would be… That chapter comes next… ****J**** Anyway, please enjoy. I may be able to update sooner than expected, it all just depends on how I feel. We're all most there, folks… The end is nigh!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

They were human…

The panic and discord that pulsed through the afternoon was thick and palpable, taking on a life on its own as it filled everyone with a heavy feeling of pure dread.

Someone screamed. Someone burst into tears. All around me, like a stack of cards, people fell to pieces, giving in to the realisation that the end truly was here.

A wave of horror had darkened the peace and quiet we had enjoyed for so long. The tranquillity of our home had been pulled out from beneath us, and now we were falling into a gaping void of gloom and despair. We were falling, and there would be no escape.

This was it. The final battle in the epic tale of our lives.

And the last chapter would be written in our blood.

The only thought skimming through my troubled mind, echoing through the stunned silence, was why?

Why us?

Why now?

Why… Why… Why…

We had survived everything the World had thrown at us, every obstacle and heartache and all the misery that had befallen us, emerging from the ashes of a wasted society where so many had perished. We had shed blood and tears, we had lost love ones, we had seen horrors that no one should ever be forced to see. We had clawed our way through the darkness…

How could it end now?

How could it all be taken away from us when we deserved nothing but happiness for all that we had been through?

It was not fair.

It was not at all fucking fair.

"Get inside" Dean said sharply, his voice harsh with a fiery anger at the sudden intrusion of the bastards who would destroy us. "Get inside… NOW!"

They ran. Screaming, and crying, and praying, they ran.

The cacophony of them rose and fell like the tides of an ocean, but the only sound I could hear, the only sound penetrating the resounding din that was like a wall around me, was the piercing wail of my son. I couldn't see him, but I could hear him. And the terror in his cry split my heart in two.

"Johnny" I whispered, my mind going blank as I spun around, searching desperately for my son in the sudden madness. I had almost lost him once. I would _not_ lose him now.

I would die for him.

And then, as the crowd parted like the red sea, I found him.

Bobby, the man who was a father to Dean and I, family long before the World died, was struggling to wheel himself across the lush grass with one hand, the other clutching my frightened son to his chest. I loved Bobby more in that moment than I ever had before. He would do anything to keep my child safe.

"Bobby!" I cried, running to him and lifting Johnny into my arms. I held him tightly, trying to soothe his fears. "We have to go. They're coming"

"I heard" he wheezed gruffly, clearly tired from the exhausting effort to flee while trapped in the torturous confines of his wheelchair. "This ain't as easy as it looks, girlie"

Like the Guardian Angel that he was, Castiel appeared at our sides. Without a word, he lifted Bobby from the chair and hefted him across his shoulder as though the ex-hunter weighed no more than a feather pillow.

"Cass…" I whispered, my voice trembling. I held my son in my arms, prepared to do anything and everything to keep him safe, and thought of the child growing inside me…

Why…

Why couldn't I have my happily ever after?

Didn't I deserve it?

"It's going to be alright" The Angel assured me, stoically calm in the face of danger. "You have to trust me, Lu. I will keep you safe"

"I trust you" I said softly, meaning the words more than I could ever say. He had never failed me, not once. I would gladly put my life and that of my son and unborn child in the palm of his hand, knowing that he would fight to the end to see us safe.

The distance roar of car engines, a cavalcade of metallic beasts carrying fiendish monsters in the fiery pits of their bellies, was getting closer. They would be upon us in a matter of minutes, and there was no way of knowing what they would do to us.

There was no way of knowing how we would survive the coming fight.

I felt Dean before I saw him. I could feel him in my heart and soul, the thrum of him surging through me as he drew near. We were drawn together, two halves of one whole pulling together like magnets, because the only place in the whole World that we belonged was next to each other.

"We have to go" he said, fighting hard to keep the fear from his voice as he wrapped an arm tightly around my waist, pulling me towards the hotel. Cass followed close at out heels as we raced to the safety of our home.

It had kept us safe for all those months when the Infected ruled the streets…

Could it keep us safe now?

The doors closed behind us with a thunderous bellow that shook the light fixtures from the walls, plunging the hotel lobby into a dank darkness that did nothing to quell the fear clogging the lazy shadows swirling around us.

The wooden doors were tall. They were strong, and solid.

But, they would not be enough.

I retreated to the corner where the women had gathered around the children, shielding them from what was to come. Johnny had fallen silent in my arms, his cherub cheeks stained with dried tears.

"Is it true?" Addie cried, clutching Delia to her chest as she pushed her way through the women to stand at my side. Her eyes were wide, her features blanched with fear. "Is it true?"

"Yes" I said, reaching out to lay a gentle hand on her arm. She was shivering. "We'll be OK, Addie. We'll be OK" But not even I believed the words as they spilled carelessly from between my lips.

Firearms, both comically large and impossibly small, were handed out amongst the men. There was a scared excitement about them as they readied themselves for the coming battle. They were silent, their voices lost to the dread of the coming onslaught.

This battle would be epic. It would be bloody and vicious, and not everyone would survive.

Dean and Sam approached us, decked out with guns and knives that had grown dusty over the weeks when they had become meaningless in the wake of our victory. Their expressions were solemn, there eyes dark with apprehension.

This fight could be the end of us all…

"Go upstairs" Dean said to all of us, but his eyes never left mine. "Go as high as you can, and hide. Don't come out for anything. No matter what you hear…"

"Dean, please" I whimpered. "Don't leave us"

"You have to go" he said, his voice cracking with emotion, and I could see the internal battle waging inside him. He wanted to keep me and Johnny safe, but he didn't want to leave us. He wanted to fight, but it was killing him to let us go. "You have to"

Knowing that I had to leave him now, knowing that I may never see him again, hurt more than when I'd been forced to watch him die.

But I had to keep Johnny safe. I had to save our son, and the new child I carried inside me. We had worked too hard, come too far, to lose it all now.

I looked across at Sam and Addie, saying their own emotional goodbye when they should have been celebrating their marriage and the daughter they had been blessed with. I would give anything to make sure they had the chance to celebrate their life and love when all of this was over.

"Come back to me" I said to Dean as a rush of tears fell freely down my pale cheeks, dripping to the soft collar of my shirt. "You come back to me, or so help me God…

"I promise" he said, pulling me in for a fierce kiss that hummed through the length of me.

The four of us were one in that instant, hearts beating together, souls entwined.

We would make it through this.

We had to.

"I love you" I whispered as he pressed his forehead to mine. "Don't you ever forget, not for a single moment, how much I love you"

"I love you, too, Princess" he smiled sadly, unshed tears gleaming in in green eyes. Pulling away, he handed me his sawn-off shotgun, the very gun that had seen him through so many hunts over the years. The weight was reassuring in my hand, but I would have gladly traded it without hesitation for Dean's hand instead. Pressing a kiss to Johnny's rust-coloured hair, I could hear the hitch in his throat as he struggled to keep himself together. He looked down at me with sad eyes. "Now, go"

And we did.

Leaving behind the men we loved, our lovers, our friends, our family, we herded the children up the foreboding stairwell, climbing higher and higher until it seemed as though we might reach the stars.

We climbed until the children could go no further, taking shelter in a room that had not been used in the year since we arrived. It smelled stale, and uninviting, but it would do. It had to.

Johnny whimpered softly in my arms, sensing the severity of the moment.

"Shhh" I soothed, rocking him back and forth. "We'll be OK, baby. Everything does gonna be OK…"

"You don't really believe that, do you?" a hard voice called from across the room.

I looked up at the woman who had spoken. She was older than me, her brown hair streaked with grey. Her face was pale, her dark eyes wet with tears. Her fear rode thickly through the air around us.

"You don't really think that we'll survive this, do you?" her voice was shrill, tight with unbridled terror.

I looked at her fiercely, drawing my shoulders back as I forced myself to stand tall beneath the weight of my own fear.

"I do" I said, my voice strong in the dreary gloom of the hotel suite. "I do"

Below us, gunshots echoed through the hotel.

The final battle had begun.


	87. The Way The Cookie Crumbles

**A/N - Thanks for reading and reviewing people! I love to hear from you, so keep it coming. OK, so there are now only two more chapters to go(Not including this one). We're almost there, can you believe it! I'm trying to get it all out as fast as I can, but it's a little sad, so it might take a few days. I do have a couple of days off, though, so it might be over before we know it… Anyway, enjoy the latest update, and feel free to review because it makes me happy!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

The air of the room, thick and nauseatingly stale, was heavy with fear and anxiety as we listened to the staccato of gun shots and screams that roared through the hotel below us. It felt like only a single instant, but at the same time a swirling eternity, was passing us by while our brave men waged war against the human evil seeking to destroy us.

And while they were down there, in the heart of the bloody battle, we cowered in the dank shadows of an abandoned room, trembling with fear and shedding endless rivers of tears. We could do nothing while the men we loved killed other human beings… While they died so that we could live.

There was no justice in it.

Pacing the room, distractedly trying to soothe my inconsolable son, I felt useless. I felt pathetic. I should be down there. I should be fighting, protecting…

I wanted to be down there with Dean, fighting the good fight by his side just as we had been doing since the Apocalypse had descended on us. We were a team. Two halves of one whole, destined to be together until the end of time. I should be down there with him, side by side, as we cut a bloody swathe through our enemies. I had promised to always have his back.

Who would keep him safe when I could not be there?

It was only the fierce and primitive desire to protect my son and the unborn child sparking its soul deep inside me that kept me from running out of the room and charging into the fray. I wanted to be down there, but I would never put my children in harms way.

I would do anything to protect my family.

"This isn't fair" the woman with grey-streaked hair, whose name I thought was Clarice, cried suddenly, her voice echoing sharply in the haunting shadows of the room. She was hugging her arms so tightly around herself I was afraid she would crush her ribs. "We've already lost so much. How can they take even more… It's not fair, it isn't… It isn't…"

"Everything's gonna be OK" I tried to assure her, holding a whimpering Johnny to my chest and rubbing soothing circles across his back. "You just need to have a little faith…" I reached out for her, but she angrily battered my hand away.

"Fuck your faith" she spat, her eyes so wide she looked deranged. "Don't you hear what's going on down there? Don't you hear it? Can't you feel it? They're all going to die, every last one of them, a slow and horrible death. And then when those bastards are done with what's left of them, when they've picked their teeth clean, they're gonna come for us…"

"Shut up" Addie hissed angrily, her cheeks stained with tears. Despite the strength that radiated from her Amazonian features, she looked like she was only moments from breaking down. "You're scaring the children, they don't need to hear this"

I looked around at the pale faces of the naïve and innocent children around us. They were so scared, and I thought that maybe a few of them had wet their pants. It was unfair that they had to go through this when they had already been through so much.

"We're going to die, don't you see" the woman said shrilly, pulling wildly at her hair. "They're going to do vile things to us. They have black hearts and black souls, and they're going to rip us open, drink our blood like wine. They're going to violate the women and brutalise the children" She was falling apart at the seams, drowning in an ocean of crazy.

Around her, everyone had fallen still, struck silent with dread at her ominous words. I was loathe to admit that she could be right.

"And they'll do it with a song in their hearts" she finished hauntingly, her words spraying like venom through the room.

Clutching a squalling Delia to her chest, Addie stepped forward and slapped the woman across her face, hard enough to draw a thin stream of blood that dripped slowly down her chin. "I said, shut your Goddamned mouth" Addie said in a low, threatening voice. There was a fire in her eyes that frightened me.

Clarice glared furiously at her, thin lips pulled back into a snarl.

We were descending into chaos.

And it would get us all killed.

"Please, you all just need to calm down" I cried desperately, moving to stand between the two women. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

"We're just lambs to the slaughter" the woman growled savagely, stalking away to stand on her own in the corner of the room. She faced away from us with her shoulders hunched, whispering maniacally to herself.

She had lost the plot completely.

Sighing to myself, I resumed my pacing, struggling to calm Johnny. He was as scared as I was, and it was hard to soothe him when I could barely soothe myself. The brave façade I wore was slowly cracking.

I didn't know how long I could keep it together.

"Do you really believe we're all going to make it?" Ruth asked, her voice softened to a whisper as she came up behind me.

"I have to" I said with a rueful smile. "If I don't, who will?"

"You are so strong, child" she said, cupping my cheek in her soft hand. "You are so strong, and so brave"

At that moment, though, I didn't feel so strong. I felt like a frightened child, crying out for her Mamma.

"I have faith" I murmured, closing my eyes and leaning into her touch. I suddenly missed my mother more than I had since her death. "All you need is faith…"

And then I heard a sound that made my blood run cold, and every last inch of faith desert me.

It was faint, but unmistakable.

The sound of heavy footsteps ascending the stairwell with a furious urgency.

It was _them_. The bastards who had disrupted our peaceful World.

They were coming for us, and they were coming fast.

I knew what they wanted… What they would do to us. They wanted to satiate their sadistic carnal needs with out helpless bodies. They would violate us, again and again, until we begged for death.

They would do it with a song in their hearts…

Johnny had gone quiet in my arms, looking up at me with his watery green eyes. Did he know what was coming?

"No" I whispered, a wrathful anger pulsing through my veins. I would not let them hurt my child. I would never let them hurt my baby. Never let them hurt my family.

Because I would save them.

"Oh, god" someone wailed, hearing the fervent footsteps that were approaching. "Oh, god, they're coming"

The shadows exploded with terror as people screamed, and burst into panicked tears.

They knew this was the end. They knew these men were coming to kill us.

But I could not let that happen.

I would not let that happen.

"Take him" I said suddenly to Ruth, easing Johnny into her embrace as a crazy plan formulated in my mind. It was crazy, but it might work.

No, it _would_ work.

"Lulu, what are you doing?" Ruth wailed, confused and alarmed as she hugged my son protectively to her chest. "Child, what are you…"

"I'm going to lead them away from here" I said, feeling achingly hollow with out Johnny in my arms. I didn't say goodbye. I couldn't bear to say goodbye. If I said it, if I said that one, heartbreaking word, I would be admitting to myself that I might not come back. And I would be coming back.

I would.

I had to…

"No, you can't" Addie cried. "Lu, you can't"

"It's OK" I said, forcing a calm smile that trembled. "I'm going to be fine. Get everyone into the bedroom, and be quiet. I'm going to lead them upstairs, and you're all gonna run, you hear me?"

"No" Addie said tearfully. "Please, Lu, don't do this"

"I have to" I said softly. "If they get in here…" But I couldn't finish. I couldn't think about what they would do to us if they found their way into the room.

"Why does it have to be you?" a piercing voice called through the shadows.

Turning, I watched as Birdie pushed her way through the terrified crowd, tripping over her own feet in her desperation to reach me.

"Why does it always have to be you?" she sobbed, clutching my shirt tightly in her fingers. The despair in her voice, in her eyes and her touch, broke my heart clean in two.

"I don't know, sweetheart" I sighed, pulling her into my arms and hugging her tightly. I could feel the damp warmth of her tears against my chest, and struggled to keep my own emotions in check. I couldn't break down, not now. "I guess that's just the way the cookie crumbles" A part of me knew that this was a stupid idea, but I could not stand idly by and watch my family die at the hands of these vile bastards.

I was a Warrior Princess.

This was my destiny.

"Here" I handed the gun to Addie, wincing at how wrong it looked to see her hefting the weapon in one hand and her daughter in the other. "Shoot first, ask questions later" Just as Dean had said to me on that fateful first day.

"Child, please" Ruth begged tearfully. "There has to be another way…"

"Get everyone into the bedroom" I said firmly. "Do it now, Ruth"

She gave a sad nod, and did as she was told, quickly shepherding everyone into the gloomy bedroom where I hoped they would be safe.

"You're going to die, you get that, right?" Clarice said spitefully as she walked by me, slipping into the room behind Addie, who cast a worried glance at me over her shoulder.

"Suck my dick" I snarled, watching as the door closed behind them.

Outside, I could hear the ragged breath of the men as they drew ever closer to us.

It was now, or never.

"I hope you've got my back, Big Guy" I said to a God I prayed was listening. I lifted an iron poker from the crumbling fireplace, testing its weight as I walked across to the door on legs that could barely carry me. "I'm gonna need all the help I can get on this one"

And, before I could back out of it, before I could flee to the relative safety of the bedroom and hide beneath the bed with my tail between my legs, I pulled the door open and stepped out into the hallway.

There were two of them.

And they were enormous, ragged brutes, with a bestial lust that gleamed like daggers in their beady eyes.

They faltered when they saw me, mouths gaping to reveal what remained of several brown teeth, and a rotting breath that I could smell even from where I stood.

My stomach churned at the sight of them, and at the thought of what they would do to me if they got their filthy hands on me.

I was not going to let that happen.

"Come and get it, boys" I grinned, summoning an arrogant bravado that shocked and amazed me. Turned out, I had some balls after all.

And then, I turned and ran.


	88. The End

**A/N - Thank you all for reading and reviewing, it's a blessing to have you all following me with such devotion. So, this is it… Well, technically, at least. This is the end of it all, but there will be a follow up chapter, just to tie it up neatly. I so, so, so hope it lives up to your expectations, and that you'll stick by me just long enough to get through the Prologue. I promise to get it out as quickly as I can. So, anyway, please enjoy, and maybe leave behind a review or two on your way through!**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

I ran.

I could feel their vile breath on the back of my neck, hot and wet like the desperate gasps of a hideous ogre.

I could smell them, the foul stench of their depravity that filtered through the eerie darkness.

I could hear what they had planned for me, and it made my blood run cold.

So, because there was nothing else I could do, I ran.

It was as though I had been blessed with wings. I raced up the gloomy stairwell faster than I ever thought I could, and it was only dumb luck that I didn't stumble. I was hurting, but I ignored the searing pain that burned relentlessly in my thighs, and the vicious ache of my tortured lungs, driven by an intense will to live, and to save the lives of so many that I loved.

But the higher I went, the further I lead these monsters away from my family, I realised that this probably wasn't one of my best ideas ever.

What the Hell was I going to do when there was nowhere left to run?

How could I take on these two enormous brutes, and live to tell the tale?

Far below me, I could hear the faint report of gunshots, and prayed that the others had made it out. They had to.

All of this would be worth nothing if they didn't survive.

"I bet she tastes real good" one of them panted laboriously, eliciting a brainless guffaw from his partner. They sounded completely and utterly wrecked from the exertion of the climb, but I knew they wouldn't give in until they got what they wanted. "I bet she's sweet like a peach"

I shuddered, my stomach rolling at the implications of his words. I knew then that I would kill them.

Or die trying.

I ran. My breath came out in ragged gasps, and there was stars hovering at the edge of my vision, but I forced myself through the pain and kept climbing, higher and higher.

Until I reached the end of the line.

The top floor. The last floor.

There was nowhere left to go.

I was trapped.

Turning around, fighting for breath, I faced my pursuers with my heart thudding furiously in my chest. My legs trembled, and it was all I could do to not collapse. I was tired. I was so tired.

I prayed I had the strength to see this through.

I prayed that the Big Guy had my back.

They climbed the last flight of stairs slowly, slinking like predators stalking their prey, and I was able to get a good look at them.

I would be haunted by their repulsive faces for as long as I lived.

However long that turned out to be…

Though both were enormous, one was considerably larger than the other, his grossly distended belly making a mockery of his tattered clothing. He had the soft, lazy features of someone whose shoe size was substantially greater than their IQ, a thin line of drool trailing from his thin lips to the tangled mess of his beard. His partner, smaller, but just as ugly, had been cursed with a hawkish nose that was too big for his weaselly face, and ears that would have put Dumbo to shame.

They were revolting, and there was no way in Hell that they were getting their hands on me.

"I got dibs on first ride" Skinny sneered, licking his lips and defiling my curvy figure with his beady eyes. He had been the one to call me a peach.

I decided that he should be the first to die.

They drew nearer, both panting for breath, but unconcerned with their exhaustion.

There was only one thing on their minds.

"Aw, how come I always get stuck with the sloppy seconds" Fatty moaned childishly, making a futile effort to hitch the waist of his pants higher over the bulbous swell of his gut. "They ain't so sweet second time 'round"

They drew closer still, agonisingly slow but faster than I would have liked. They were going to enjoy this, and they wanted it to last.

I was hoping to get this messy business over with as quickly as I could.

"You want me?" I said. My voice was strong. I wasn't scared anymore. "Come and get me"

Leering, Skinny lunged.

With a defiant scream that echoed in the enclosed space of the stairwell, I hefted the iron poker like a baseball bat and swung it with every ounce of strength I could conjure.

The sharp, curved tip connected solidly with his face. He grunted as his cheek split open like rotten fruit, spilling a torrent of blood that sprayed hot across my chest. He tripped over his own feet and fell down the stairs in a tangle of arms and legs. I could hear the satisfying, wet crunch of his neck snapping as he landed in a mangled heap.

Dead.

I looked down at his lifeless form, and smiled. I had just killed another human being, but I felt no guilt, only a blissful satisfaction. I knew I would make it out of this.

I knew I would see my family again.

"One down" I snarled, glaring at Fatty.

He glanced down at his fallen companion, his features a mixture of anger and uncertainty.

He hadn't been expecting me to fight back.

He hadn't been expecting a Warrior Princess.

"You'll pay for that, you fucking whore" he spat, scurrying up the last few steps.

Without a single instant of hesitation, I lifted the poker and plunged it through his left eye.

There was no resistance as I buried it deep in the dark recesses of his useless brain.

For a moment, he just stood there dumbly, mouth opening and closing like a fish, his good eye bulging as he stared at me.

"Rot in Hell, you son of a bitch" I said, pulling the poker free with a burst of bloody pulp.

His legs collapsed beneath him, and he tumbled ass over head to land sprawled across his friend.

And just like that, it was over.

Only, it wasn't.

I could smell smoke.

The hotel was on fire.

"Son of a bitch" I screamed, my voice thick with frustration. "When does this shit end!"

Throwing the poker to the ground, where it clattered loudly in the shadows, I ran down the stairs faster than was safe. But the building was burning down under my feet, and as long as I made it out, I didn't care if it was in one piece or not.

"C'mon, c'mon" I chanted to myself, leaping down another set of steps. A sharp pain exploded in my ankle, but I paid it no attention. I just wanted to get the Hell out of the building before it collapsed.

I was almost to the ground floor when the smoke hit me, a thick black cloud that felt like it would choke me in its harsh embrace. It filled my lungs, and made it near impossible to see anything in the already dark stairwell.

Coughing, my eyes tearing against the fiery assault, I stumbled suddenly, falling painfully to my knees as I hit my head hard against the wall. A desolate darkness filled my vision, and I felt myself slipping perilously close to unconsciousness.

"No" I grunted, wiping a stream of blood from my eyes and pushing myself to my feet. A wave of dizziness washed over me, and I fell to my knees again. "No, no, no… Not now"

Then I heard a sound like music to my ears.

A sound I had been afraid I'd never hear again.

"LU!" Dean screamed from somewhere beneath me. My Knight in Shimmering Armour, coming to save the day.

Like he always had.

Like he always would.

"Here!" I called, struck by a violent coughing fit that felt like my lungs were exploding. "I'm here!"

"Lu?"

And then I saw him, his features stained red with blood I hoped wasn't his. His eyes, those gorgeous emerald eyes that had seen me like no man ever had before, were dark with worry. And when those eyes found me, it was like coming home.

"The hotel's on fire" I said inanely as he hauled me to my feet, pulling me into an embrace that almost squeezed the life from me.

"Why do you always have to be so stupid?" he growled, holding my face in his hands and wiping blood from my cheek. But the relief in his voice was clear. "Why can't you ever just do what I tell you?"

"Because I promised to love, honour, and not hog the blankets" I joked amongst the fiery threat, thinking back to our marriage pact. "I never promised to obey"

"I think we need to change that" he grinned, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. "Now let's get the Hell out of here"

I was more than happy to obey him on that one.

We descended the last few floors, fighting our way through the blazing inferno that had overcome the lobby, where our family had spent so much time together and where dozens of bodies littered the floor, and burst through the shattered front doors into the blessedly fresh afternoon air.

I couldn't believe that there was still daylight. It felt like a lifetime had passed us by, but it been little more than an hour.

An hour, and the World as we knew it was gone.

Gulping in the clean, delicious air, wiping blood and soot from my eyes, I looked around at those of us who had made it. They were huddled together, crying for the people who had died as they watched our home burn.

I wouldn't know for sure until much later who had died, but I knew it had been too many.

I saw Sam and Addie with their daughter, Bobby looking worse for wear, and Castiel.

They had survived, at least, and I was more thankful than I could ever say.

"Lulu!"

Spinning around at the sound of my name being called through the crowd, I saw Ruth standing beside a morose Father Michael, his face smeared with blood, his shirt a bloody mess.

And in her arms, safe, was my son.

"Johnny" I whispered, ignoring the pain that throbbed in my ankle as I hobbled over to them.

I lifted my child into my arms and hugged him tight, pressing a tearful kiss to his forehead.

"Thank you" I said to Ruth, grateful that she had kept him safe for me. "Thank you…"

With a sad smile, her features pale and drawn, she reached out and cupped a hand to my cheek.

We had lost so much, so many…

But we had survived.

And we would keep surviving because we were strong.

Dean came up behind me, slipping an arm around my waist and holding me close to him.

We stood together and watched as the only place we had been able to call home after the World died, was destroyed, taking with it everything we owned, every memory we had made, and the bodies of those who had died so that we could survive.

They had sacrificed themselves for us, and they would never be forgotten.

"What will we do?" I asked softly, feeling the painful ache of my heartbreaking. We had lost everything. But we still had each other. "Where do we go now?"

There was a moment of peaceful silence that filled the sunny day, and somewhere, in the distance, the ringing melody of birds chimed like bells.

Life would go on.

"I was thinking…" Dean started, one arm wrapped around me and Johnny, the other pressed to my belly. "I was thinking we could go to Mexico"

I looked up at him, smiling through the tears and sadness that had filled my soul.

We were together, and that was the main thing.

We would be together until the end of time.

"And we'll live happily ever after?" I breathed, snuggling closer so that our two hearts beat as one.

Dean smiled, lighting up his impossible perfect features, and spoke two words that could not have been more fitting.

"The end…"


	89. Epilogue FIVE YEARS LATER

**A/N - Thank you for reading and reviewing. Just a quick A/N to say that this is the last chapter. This is the end… Can you believe we finally made it! Anyway, please enjoy, and let me know what you think.**

**Blessed Be XOXOXOX**

**(Oh, and thank you Trickster 707 for pointing out (maybe unintentionally) that I called this a Prologue instead of an Epilogue… Just goes to show you how worn out I was after the last chapter!)**

The World as we had known it for all our lives was nothing but a page in history now.

The brutal War that had raged so many years ago, a lifetime ago, bringing the World to its knees and the saga of the human race to a cruel standstill, was over. It had been a relentless Virus, consuming innocent soul after innocent soul with a gruesome vengeance that could not be tamed, but it was just a memory.

It had devastated the nation, roaring across the land like wildfire and killing billions.

It had killed everyone.

But not us.

No.

We had survived.

We had survived where so many had perished, fighting hard to make it through from one day to the next. Fighting hard to make our way through the death and destruction that had pulsed around us, driven by an intense will to live. The desire to not lose ourselves to the evil darkness craving our blood had seen us through.

And for the last five years, five blissful years of peace and happiness, we had been living in our very own Utopia, working as best we could to rebuild society.

We knew we could never bring it back to what it had been before the fall of mankind, but we were making a start. And as our family grew, with each baby born and each new survivor joining our ranks, we were making our mark.

Making our stand.

Here, on the gorgeous beaches of Mexico, we had made a home for ourselves. We had put all the pain, and loss, and heartache behind us, and now we lived for the future.

For a future full of hope and promise.

Everyday we were blessed with a sky, a stunning and cloudless expanse of azure blue sky, that stretched for an eternity across the glassy surface of the Pacific Ocean. The two embraced on the horizon like passionate lovers, bleeding together so that it was impossible to tell where one ended and the other began. We were surrounded by a beach of pristine white sand that seemed endless, reaching far and wide on either side of us. Marigolds bloomed on the hills that bordered our Eden, the sweet scent of them carried through our serene hamlet on the gentle breeze filtering through the trees.

We had found our home.

And it was Heaven.

Standing on the veranda of the small, three-bedroom shack, a perfect home for my family, built with our very own hands, I marvelled at the life we had forged for ourselves after everything we had loved and held dear had been taken so cruelly from us.

We had triumphed.

And there was no greater feeling in the World.

"Howdy, neighbour"

Drawn from my reveries, I turned to see Sam and Addie emerging from their own modest home with their adorable brood of children. Delia, more beautiful than was possible at six, had inherited her Daddy's gorgeous features and soulful eyes, and his passion for learning. Three-year-old twins, Madison and Jessica, looked just like their Mamma, with big brown eyes and a matching set of dimples that had everyone wrapped helplessly around their pinkie fingers. And their six-month-old son, Andy, already looked like Sam, and it was easy to see he would be just as tall and just as handsome.

They made a beautiful family.

"Hey, guys" I smiled.

"We're heading down to the camp for some lunch" Sam said, effortlessly lifting Madison into his arms. Delia stood behind him, her nose buried in a book. She was an avid reader, already reading well above her age group. "You wanna join us?"

"I might just stay here for a little while" I said. "Take a little time to enjoy the view"

"We'll save you a table" Addie grinned, taking Jessica's hand as they stepped out onto the flawless sand of the beach.

Little Andy, cradled against his Mamma's hip, waved his chubby arm at me, smiling a gummy smile that melted me.

I watched them walk away, one big, happy family, and knew that we were truly blessed.

We had everything we wanted.

Running my fingers through the scarlet curls that fell about my smooth, tanned shoulders, I looked out across our little community, a home we had worked so hard for, and couldn't believe just how far we had come in such a short time.

We were thriving.

Ruth and Father Michael, as sweet, as tender, and as faithful as ever, had become the surrogate parents to the many children left orphaned by the evil that had slaughtered the human race. They welcomed them with open arms, and loved them as though they were their own. Among them was Molly, the beautiful little girl I had breathed life into all those years ago. At first, a part of me had wanted to take her into my own family, but she was happy where she was, and that was all that mattered.

Our beloved Bobby, getting on in years, had become a teacher to the children of our time. He taught them about the Old World, about the way things used to be. Everyday, he taught them about our past so that they could understand the future.

Proving that young love never faded, Birdie and Zeek were still together, and excitedly awaiting the arrival of their first child. Any day now, they would be parents, and make their addition to our ever-growing family.

Orla and Callum had welcomed gorgeous twin sons, Jagger and Taye, and were currently discussing the possibility of having more.

Having given up the drink that he was slowly drowning in, the Prophet Chuck had devoted his time to writing about everything we had been through. Life before the Virus, the fight to survive, and everything we had been doing for the last five years. He wanted future generations to know what we had done, how we had saved the World.

He wanted our legend to live on forever.

Everyone was impossibly happy. There was no stress in this glorious new World, there was no danger or need to fight.

We lived a simple, peaceful life. We lived the life we had always wanted.

It was perfect.

And Castiel. My Angel.

He hadn't aged a day over the years, still as heartbreakingly beautiful as the day he had come into our lives. As per the orders from the Big Guy upstairs, he had been assigned as our Guardian Angel. It was his mission to watch over us, to protect us from any danger that might still exist out there in the World.

He lived amongst us, one of us, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Closing my eyes to the gentle breeze caressing my face, I took a deep breath of the sweet smelling air.

Everything was perfect.

And after everything we had been through, we deserved it.

"Mamma!"

Hearing the sound of my child calling my name, I opened my eyes and looked down the beach.

There they were.

My family.

Deep inside my chest, my heart swelled with love and devotion. I was so lucky to have them in my life. So long ago, I had lost a family and I had been afraid that I would have one again. But I did.

I had the family I'd always dreamed about.

Johnny, the beautiful boy I feared I would never have, was so handsome, even at the age of five. He and his four-year-old brother, Noah, had been blessed with the painfully gorgeous features of their Daddy. The sharp, rugged features, the emerald green eyes and crooked smiles, and a love of mullet rock that I would never really understand. They would be heartbreakers when they were old enough.

And then there was her.

My year old daughter.

My Millie.

Where her brothers were every inch their Daddy's boys, Millie was all mine. She was the spitting image of me; fiery red hair that had curled into sweet ringlets, and soft, pale features that would break men's hearts.

But it was her eyes that had captured my heart.

They were bright blue.

Like mine.

Like the eyes of her namesake.

It was as though the two of us were one and the same.

Then there was Dean.

My love.

My heart.

My soul.

The man who had saved me when no one else could, who had stolen my heart and breathed life into me when I had been so willing to give up. He was mine, and I was his.

And we would be together for ever, and for always.

We were destined to be together until the end of time.

Even though he had started the inevitable descent into his forties, he was still as breathtaking as he had ever been. Not even the hands of time could mar his perfectly handsome features. Even with the slight wrinkles around his heart stopping eyes, and the whispers of grey streaking through the hair at his temples, he still stole my breath every time I saw him.

We were still so in love that it was ridiculous.

People this happy, this in love, were only meant to exist in stories.

"Hi" I breathed, still amazed everyday that I had been lucky enough to have the perfect family.

"Daddy said you'd tell us the monster story" Johnny said excitedly, as he and Noah threw themselves into my arms.

I held them tight, feeling the flutter of their hearts against mine.

"Oh, did he just" I laughed, looking up at my husband with raised eyebrows. It was no secret that they loved to hear the wondrous tale of how we had defeated the evil monsters. It was like a fairytale of them.

"You know it's their favourite" Dean grinned, shifting Millie on his hip to press a welcomed kiss to my lips. He lingered just long enough to illicit a cry of disgust from our boys. Any displays of affection shared between their Mamma and Daddy grossed them out.

"Please, Mamma" Noah pleaded, looking up at me with his irresistible green eyes. "Pleeeeease"

And just like his Daddy, I could deny him nothing.

"Alright" I laughed, taking Millie from Dean and holding her against my chest. She looked at me with eyes so much like my own, smiling and cooing adorably. "Once upon a time" I started, as we walked along the beach to the camp where our family was enjoying lunch. "There was a brave and handsome Cowboy. But, this Cowboy wasn't like the other cowboys. He fought the monsters that had been hurting people. He sent them back to the darkness, back to where they came from, so that everybody was safe"

"Was he strong?" Noah asked, even though he knew the story by heart.

"The strongest" I smiled at Dean, our sons walking between us.

"And the best looking" he added with a wink.

"Quiet, Daddy" Johnny admonished. "Mamma's telling the story"

"Sorry" Dean smiled sheepishly, playfully ruffling his son's hair.

"One day, this Cowboy went into a little pie shop because he was hungry. This Cowboy was always hungry, and that day, he wanted a piece of pie"

"And in that pie shop, he met the most beautiful Princess in all the land" Dean added softly, reaching out to brush a wayward curl from my eyes.

Looking at him, losing myself in the swirling depths of his eyes, I knew that we would work on baby number four that night.

Or, at least, get some practise.

"Yes" I smiled. "He met a beautiful Princess, but she thought he was a jerk. He was trying too hard to get into…" I cleared my throat awkwardly. "To get a piece of her pie"

The boys laughed. That was their favourite part of the story.

"But that was the day that the monsters came" I continued, lowering my voice for effect. "And the monsters were very bad. They hurt a lot of people. But, the Cowboy and the Princess fought back. They battled the monsters until there were no more. And then the Bad Man came…"

"But they made the Bad Man go away, didn't they?" Johnny said, a hint of fear in his voice. He knew who that Bad Man was, and what he had wanted. "The Bad Man was going to take their baby, but they made him go away"

"They sure did" Dean said. "They wouldn't let anything happen to their baby, so they sent the Bad Man all the way back to Hell, where he belonged"

"And then what happened?" Noah asked, slipping his tiny hand into my own. "What happened to the Cowboy and the Princess"

"And then…" I stopped suddenly, feeling a change in the air that skittered along my skin like electricity. I glanced over my shoulder, and my breath caught, my heart skipped a beat.

He was standing there. The old man with the worn, ebony complexion I would have recognised anywhere, wearing a garish Hawaiian shirt that made me cringe. Even after all this time, He was still there, still watching over us.

Lifting His hand in a wave, He winked knowingly at me, then turned to walk away, leaving behind a trail of footsteps in the sand.

And with a bright spark of brilliant light, He was gone.

I smiled to myself, knowing exactly how our story would end.

"And then, they lived happily ever after"

_The End._


	90. Thank You

Well, Constant Readers, we did it. Can you believe that it's finally over! After all these months, after all the tears and laughter and angry cries…

It's all done and dusted.

_*cue wistful sigh of relief*_

First and foremost, I would like to thank each and every single one of you who have followed this story with such an unwavering devotion since the very first chapter. I want to thank everyone who has added it to their favourites and alerts. And I especially would like to thank those who have reviewed, just once or many times, because I absolutely love hearing about how you are enjoying (or not enjoying) my writing. Writing is something I love to do, and it's my dream to make it a profession.

Maybe one day, you'll walk in to a book shop and see one of my novels on the shelf, and you'll all be able to say "I read her very first story. Nah-nah-nah!" XD

I started this story, like, seven freaking months ago! And when I quickly wrote the first chapter, just to gauge what people thought of it, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that it would turn in to something so epic. 89 chapters… Laws knows how many words…

And viola! You have an epic tale of good prevailing over evil. Hehe, I almost feel like Stephen King! Only, not as awesome. XD

Seriously, though, I fell in love with this story. I fell in love with the characters, and the World, and once I started, I just couldn't stop. I lost myself completely in it, and trust me, I was just as surprised with some of the twists and turns as you were. Most of it was planned, I knew where they were going and what was going to happen, but sometimes, things came about that I just wasn't expecting. Lu and Dean were never meant to have a baby, but it happened and I went with it. Birdie was meant to die earlier on, but I quickly grew attached to her and couldn't bear to write her out of the story. And I was going to try and avoid the whole Lucifer story arch, because it felt like it would be too much for me to handle, but it was too perfect to ignore. Everything fell perfectly into place.

The story took on a life of its own, and I was along for the ride. Same as you!

But, it would never have been what it was without YOU, Constant Readers. You guys have been my rock, my guiding light in the darkness… My Guardian Angels.

I was so amazed that so many people seemed to enjoy my work, because I'm a little critical of my writing, and I honestly thought it would fizzle out within a few chapters. But knowing that you all seemed to like what I was writing, and how the story was fleshing out, made me so much more confidant. And with that confidence, I felt like I could take on everything Lucifer threw my way.

So, Constant Readers, this story belongs to each and every one of you.

Take care of it, I made it from scratch… XD

OK, just to satiate your hunger (!), I am abso-freakin-lutely planning a prequel. All going well, hopefully it will be two. One from Lu and Dean's POV, and one from Sam and Addie's POV, hopefully released simultaneously, depending on if I have the strength to carry it off! I really want to explore how all of them got to where they were at the start of the story, so I'm very excited to get started. But first, I'm going to take a tiny little break to recover, and then I promise I will get stuck into it. I'm aiming to have the first chapter out within the next month.

Anywho, thank you all so very, very much for taking this ride with me, you guys have been the most perfect travelling companions anyone could ever ask for. I hope you'll all leave behind a review, if you'd like, just to let me know how you felt about the story as a whole. I'd love to hear if you've had as much fun as I had!

As always, and as ever…

Blessed Be XOXOXOX


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